Mysore: Today is Akshaya Tritiya, the day to buy gold as it is believed that buying gold on this auspicious day will bring prosperity. There is so much of faith in this belief that the jewellery shops in city were experiencing heavy rush right from morning itself.

Some of the biggest names in gold jewellery like Joyalukkas, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Bhima Jewels, Tanishq, Kalyan Jewellers and Vayvidya Jewels, all situated on the busy Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road (BN Road), are doing roaring business. Similar is the scene at Bhima & Brother Jewellers on Devaraja Urs Road, Tholasi Jewels on Ashoka Road, Prakash Jewellers on Vinoba Road in Shivarampet.

Jewellery shops in various extensions like Kuvempunagar, Saraswathipuram, Surya Bakery Road in Vijayanagar, Bogadi Road, V.V. Market and Agrahara Circle are all places where there is a mad rush of people to buy a piece of gold jewellery on the auspicious day. There was so much of rush that customers were given tokens and their names called once the counters to shop were free.

All the shops are decorated with welcome and discount offer signboards. It is not only the super rich, the rich, the middle class who believe in buying that piece of gold jewellery but even the poor stretch their pockets to buy a small piece of jewellery like earrings, nose rings costing a few thousand rupees so that it will bring them good luck and they can prosper in life.

The elite were found buying not only gold jewellery but also diamonds including uncut ones which is said to be very expensive. The rich and the middle class were seen buying gold necklaces, chains, bangles, rings as also silver jewellery.

The belief is that buying gold today and taking it home will bring a lot of good luck. A family from Mirle village including mother Leelavathi, her two daughters, two sons, sons-in-law and her husband, were seen shopping at a very posh jewellery showroom.

When Star of Mysore spoke to Leelavathi, she said that her family did believe in buying gold jewellery on this auspicious occasion. For instance last year one of her sons had bought a gold chain for their father and this year another son bought a heavy gold bracelet (Kadaga) for the father. She herself had bought a gold chain. They had made purchases worth Rs.2 lakh and finished their shopping by 10 am itself.

Others who had booked orders more than ten to fifteen days in advance and were particular to buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya were seen coming to purchase it  in the morning itself. A shop on B.N. Road, which has a basement shopping, had made special arrangements for such customers.

Tight Security

There was tight security in front of all the shops with most of them seeking Police protection. Since chain-snatching incidents have been on the rise in the city recently, this step has been taken, said one of the shopkeepers.

The Police were also seen regulating traffic and attending to parking issues as the BN Road is a busy stretch with little space for parking.

The Akshaya Tritiya began at 3.17 am today and ends at 2.17 am on May 8. It is believed that buying gold jewellery during sunset is that much more auspicious and hence shops are expecting a bigger rush late in the evening. Most of the jewellers are keeping their shops open till well past 10 pm today.

Awareness drive

Even as people made a beeline to jewellery shops, members of the Prajnavanta Nagarika Vedike carrying placards bearing the messages were seen educating the public in front of Bhima & Brother Jewellers on Devaraja Urs Road, about the recent chain-snatching incidents in the city and how they should be careful about protecting their valuables.

Social Worker K. Raghuram told Star of Mysore that Akshaya Tritiya was a new trend and people have become so enamoured of it that they were falling over one another to buy gold jewellery on this day.

However, the main purpose of the Vedike was to create awareness among the people to be careful in displaying their gold ornaments.