BENGALURU, 10 MAY 

Bengalureans flocked to jewellery shops on Akshaya Tritiya to buy gold and silver treasures, ranging from coins to the latest designs featuring intricate motifs of deities like Ram Lalla.

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is dedicated to worshipping the deities of wealth. Tradition holds that purchasing gold or silver on this auspicious day invites prosperity into one's life.

Local goldsmiths in Nagarathpet said this year they received wholesale orders for Ram Lalla-themed pendants, rings, coins and jewellery. At Vijayalakshmi Complex, housing around 100-150 goldsmiths, preparations began two months earlier. They produced around 5,000 gold coins featuring Ram Lalla and an additional 5,000 crafted in silver.

Vishwanath Raju, a goldsmith with three decades of experience, said: “Every year, we receive orders for coins and pendants featuring Goddess Lakshmi or Gandaberunda (a two-headed bird and a form lord Vishnu). However, this year there was an overwhelming demand for Ram Lalla-themed pieces and orders for traditional motifs like Goddess Lakshmi or Gandaberunda were fewer this year."

On Friday, shoppers thronged jewellery showrooms such as Davanam Jewellers, Bhima Jewellers and Kalyan Jewellers in Malleshwaram. The showrooms offered customers 10-20 per cent discount starting from Rs 4,000.

Satish Acharya, manager at Davanam Jewellers, told Salar News, “This year, we witnessed a 30 per cent increase in our sales by afternoon. There was a high demand for Vanki Rings among teenagers, while middle-aged men favoured Ram Lalla coins and pendants. Jewellery sets remained popular among women shoppers."

Kalyan Jewellers recorded a growing demand for diamonds and platinum, particularly among millennials.

During Akshaya Tritiya, the City witnessed a range of demands beyond traditional gold and silver jewellery. Photo frame shops experienced a surge in orders for silver-coated 3D photographs, particularly of deities like Lord Ram. Anirudh Reddy of Krishna Photo Studio said they sold 500 frames of Ram compared to the usual 200 of Goddess Lakshmi.—Salar News