Bengaluru, April 18: Hundreds of customers, especially women, made a beeline to gold and jewellery shops across the city on Wednesday to buy the glittering ornaments for celebrating Akshaya Tritiya festival.
"We have seen 10-15 per cent spike in sales due to Akshaya Tritiya and about 20 per cent increase in footfalls through the day, forcing us to keep our showroom open till 11 p.m.," Malabar Gold & Diamonds manager Dileep told IANS here.
Aware of the sentiment attached to the auspicious occasion and the belief that buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya augurs well and brings fortune through the year, leading jewellery stores offered discounts, gifts, freebies and reduction in making charges to lure more customers and spur sales.
"The response has been in line with our expectations this time and more than last year when sales were affected by demonetisation and GST subsequently. Our sales pitch also helped us in drawing more customers," said Dileep.
Though the day began with a few hundred customers showing up till afternoon, jewellery stores across the city witnessed steady footfalls by evening and heavy rush during the peak shopping hours.
"The footfalls were heavy on Tuesday evening and picked up on Wednesday post-noon. As more customers came to our stores later in the evening, we decided to remain open till 10.30 p.m.," a Joyalukkas salesperson told IANS.
A sales manager of Navarthan Jewellers, which has six stores across the city, told IANS that prices of select gold ornaments have gone up to Rs 33,370-33,760 per 10 gm of 24 karat as demand surged after 4 p.m.
"Diamond jewellery is in good demand this time. Sales of bangles, necklaces and jhumkas also picked up during the day. Designer ornaments are preferred by young and middle age customers, mostly women," said the manager.
Admitting that even young and modern women were of the belief that buying gold on Akshaya Tritya augured well and did not want to miss the occasion, the manager said average age of such customers was between 20-40 years.
"As we showcase a range of ornaments, in gold, platinum and silver with or without diamonds, we also get customers who are young, trendy, studying or working. They look for both modern and traditional designs."
Retail price of 22 karat has also shot up to Rs 31,100 in branded stores like Kalyan Jewellers, P.C. Chandra Jewellers and Krishnaiah Chetty & Jewellers in the central business district.
"We performed well on Akshaya Tritiya compared to previous years, as the growth was much higher than expectation and jewellery sales growth was encouraging," said Tanishq Vice-President (marketing & retail) Sandeep Kulhalli.
Coinciding with the festive season, many customers also bought wedding jewellery. The overall customer sentiment was positive in metros and the pick-up was also good in non-metros in line with expectations.
Average retail prices were in the range of Rs 32,011-32,570 per 10 gm for 24 karat and Rs 29,350-29,780 per 10 gam for 22 karat.
"Retail prices range depending on the locality of the gold and jewellery shops, with branded stores and showrooms quoting on higher side," a bullion trader told IANS.
Bullion rates in the city were Rs 31,358 per 10 gm for 24 karat gold and Rs 29,320 per 10 gm for 22 karat, while silver 999 was Rs 31,358 per kg.
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Kangana Ranaut shown black flags in Himachal's Lahaul and Spiti, BJP files complaint with CEO
Shimla, May 20: Actor Kangana Ranaut, BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, was shown black flags by local people and Congress workers at Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti on Monday.
The Himachal Pradesh BJP filed a complaint with the state chief electoral officer (CEO) demanding transfer of election officials and an investigation into the incident as both the BJP and the Congress were given permission to hold rallies adjacent to each other.
The Congress workers raised anti-Kangana slogans - "Kangana, go back, Kangana Vangana nahi chalegi". They were apparently enraged over her remarks on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in April last year.
Ranaut had tweeted a meme featuring the Dalai Lama that said, "The Dalai Lama receives a warm welcome at the White house". The photoshopped picture in the tweet showed the Dalai Lama sticking his tongue out with US President Joe Biden with a comment - Both of them have the same illness, definitely they could be friends.
Following this, a group of Buddhists staged a dharna outside her office in Mumbai.
Later she apologised saying she didn't mean to hurt anyone, and it was a harmless joke about Biden being friends with the Dalai Lama.
Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur, who had accompanied Ranaut to Kaza to campaign for the BJP, on Monday alleged that the Congress workers tried to disturb the meeting of the BJP and pelted stones on their carcade while they were returning.
Talking to reporters, he said, "It is unfortunate that for the first time, permission was given to hold a parallel rally at the venue to the Congress where prior permission was already granted to the BJP to hold the rally.
Efforts were made to disturb our rally and the Congress workers raised shameful slogans, stopped our carcade and pelted stones, injuring one person."
Thakur added that they go for campaigning all over the state but such things have happened for the first time, which shows "frustration" of the Congress and they would take up the issue with the Election Commission.
Later, in a complaint filed with the Himachal Pradesh CEO, BJP state office secretary Parmod Kumar Thakur said the Congress workers allegedly tried to illegally restrain the political procession and even pelted stones and demanded an investigation into the incident.
"The district administration granted permission for organising a political meeting to the Congress adjacent to the place already scheduled to hold a political meeting of the BJP at Kaza under undue influence of the state government in utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)", he said.
In the complaint, the BJP demanded the immediate transfer of election officials from Lahaul and Spiti and said giving permission to both the parties at the same location at the same time was a "big lapse" on the part of the Election Commission "in spite of the fact that permission to the BJP was provided first and the officers involved in this act are biased against the BJP, and free and fair elections are doubtful under the circumstances."
Lahaul and Spiti SP Mayank Chowdhary told PTI that workers of both the BJP and the ruling Congress came face to face but there was no clash and no person was injured. However, one worker sprained his leg, he added.
Bhishan Shashni, Congress election coordinator for Lahaul and Spiti claimed that the Congress workers were peacefully protesting but a large number of people, who were hurt by Ranaut's remarks about the Tibetan spiritual leader, joined the protest.
Earlier, Congress candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat Vikramaditya Singh had asked why Ranaut did not visit Spiti and returned from Reckong Peo alleging that she was afraid she would be shown black flags for her remarks against the Dalai Lama.
