Installing in his place his eldest son Bharat, He left the palace followed by 4000 other kings. Indra followed by the other celestials, took Rishabhdev in procession to the Triveni, the confluence of the Ganges, the Jamuna and the Saraswati at Prayag (Allahabad) where under the shade of the Akshayavat (sacred Banyan Tree) Rishabhdev gave up the world, including his clothes and gave himself to contemplation. He pulled out his hair (Kesh Lonch) by his own hands depicting his extreme detachment to all worldly and bodily comforts. Lord Rishabhdev took his first meal after one year of austerities and penance. Raja Shreyans, the king of Hastinapur, had the good fortune of being the first person to offer him a meal in the form of Sugarcane Juice on the 3rd day of the bright fortnight of the month of Vaishakha. This occasion is celebrated even today as "Akshaya Triteeyaa".
