BHUBANESWAR: The capital city witnessed a festive rush on the occasion of Dhanteras on Friday, with people thronging jewellery stores, gold showrooms and markets to make auspicious purchases.
From gold and silver ornaments to utensils, shops across the city witnessed a surge in footfall, with traders expecting brisk business throughout the day. On the day, the price of 24-carat gold in the city stood at around Rs 1.43 lakh per 10 gram, compared to approximately `1.29 lakh per 10 gram on Dhanteras last year.
Despite gold prices being higher than last year, the sharp decline from the January peak, when the price of 24-carat gold touched an all-time high of around Rs 1.84 lakh per 10 gram, encouraged many people to make purchases on the auspicious occasion ahead of the wedding season.
“While gold prices have increased over last year, they are still lower than the peak levels recorded in January. We felt this was a reasonable time to make a purchase, especially with Dhanteras being an auspicious occasion,” said Suprabha, who purchased gold on the day.
Lalchnd Jewellers recorded a 30 per cent increase in sales this Dhanteras compared to the festival rush last year. “The sharp fall in gold prices meant that parents saving for their daughters’ weddings could buy a little more gold with the money they had set aside. The gold rate helped families decide when to buy, while our making charges, the lowest in Odisha, helped them decide where to buy,” said Lalchnd Group chairman Sunjoy Hans.
Lalchnd offered flat making charges of 4.99 per cent on all types of 22-carat gold chains and 7.99 per cent on other 22-carat gold jewellery, including antique designs and intricate Kolkata work. The jeweller also waived making charges on silver ornaments.
Arundhati Jewellers, too, reported an encouraging response from customers on the occasion. Arundhati Group managing director Brahmananda Meher said, “The incredible response from our customers made this Dhanteras special for the entire Arundhati family. As a gesture of gratitude, we have extended our 50 per cent flat discount on making charges offer for two more days.”