A pair of bangles given to a bride, a necklace purchased at the birth of one’s child, even a mangalsutra as a last resort. Pawning one’s gold reeks of desperation like no other, and this year, the jewellery association of Karnataka has claimed that there is a 45 per cent rise in gold loans.
No happy Akshaya Tritiya for jewellers
No happy Akshaya Tritiya for jewellers
BySridhar VivanSridhar Vivan / Updated: May 14, 2021, 06:00 IST
Jewellers worry as
Akshaya Tritiya due to covid
Every year, Akshaya Tritiya would be an important day for jewellers and gold buyers. They would announce attractive discounts to lure their customers too. However, due to covid and the lockdowns, this has changed.
Ever since the 14-day lockdown all jewellery shops have been shut as they aren’t under the category of essentials. The
jewellers association made a plea to Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar to allow their shops to function at least for two hours during Akshaya Tritiya. “We have been getting many calls from customers who want to buy gold on Friday. We requested to be allowed to open our shops for at least a couple of hours on that day. However, the Chief Secretary rejected our plea,” said B Ramachari, General Secretary of the Karnataka State Jewellery Traders and Workers Associa