Tryst with tradition continues unabated Akshaya Tritiya is commemorated across generations and even those with a contemporary outlook adhere to it as far as possible

Tryst with tradition continues unabated

Akshaya Tritiya is commemorated across generations and even those with a contemporary outlook adhere to it as far as possible

In a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai, where technology and time constraints tend to influence most decisions, where ‘ready to microwave’ foods have replaced conventional cooking, where once daily tasks like house cleaning and laundry are now compiled and done only once a week, where multi-tasking is a way of life, why would anyone bother to keep a tryst with tradition? The question at least merits discussion if not debate and hence, we decided to quiz a cross-section of Mumbaikars about their attitudes towards occasions like Akshaya Tritiya. Obviously, one would expect an entirely logic-driven and essentially practical approach sans any inclination towards tradition or sentiment whatsoever. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to see the citizens of this ‘city that never sleeps’ retaining the emotional attachment towards such festive occasions without compromising on their contemporary lifestyle. The balancing act between a modern approach and traditional values is managed rather well and with good reason. The initial driver is a desire to keep the senior generation happy. If buying a big ticket item like gold coins or bars, gold jewellery or a branded ‘gold’ watch on an auspicious day can ensure family harmony, why not? Also, even the least religious Mumbaikar prefers to have God on his side and doesn’t mind waiting a few weeks to ‘coincidentally’ conduct an important acquisition on ‘Akshaya Tritiya.’ Regardless of the motives involved, there is a visible trend of Mumbaikars scheduling important purchases for this day. Rakesh Kumar, GM marketing and sales, Country Club, expresses, “We always look forward to auspicious days or special occasions in case we plan on buying gold or property. ‘Tithis’ like Akshaya Tritiya, are considered holy and lucky by us.” Prerna Gedia, consulting nutritionist at Nutri reach, concurs. “If I were to buy gold, I would definitely wait for Akshaya Tritiya since I firmly believe in its significance and the beliefs associated with it apart from the scientific proofs attained.” In contrast, some of the young and vibrant homemakers of this contemporary generation provided a more rational outlook. Minal Narsaria says, “If I happen to be buying something important like jewellery close to Akshaya Tritiya, I would indeed wait for the day, otherwise not.” Pooja Agarwal shares similar thoughts, saying “I don’t really believe it to be propitious. I buy when I desire to or when the need arises.” Being involved in many business transactions herself, Sharda, a diamond jeweller’s better half, says “Akshaya Tritiya is considered to be a holy day, so I would at least buy something small as a ‘shagun’ or token.” Virat Chirania, an active volunteer of the Art of Living, feels that “Akshaya Tritiya has always been considered as an auspicious day in India. Yes, I do believe in its holiness and sanctity. I and my father generally go purchasing gold or silver coins with the portrait of Goddess Lakshmi engraved on them, more specifically referred to as ‘ginni’ from our family jewellers.” Mukesh Shah, VP business development at Sushil Finance too goes the traditional way. He says “I believe in the importance of this day and generally buy gold since as per tradition, it is auspicious to do so. My family has been following this tradition from generations. I do not buy in large quantities, just a token amount on that particular day.” Taking the concept of buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya to a different level, Vishal Gurnani, director, Social Media India Ltd., reflects, “Yes, I do believe in buying or investing in meaningful entities on that particular day. Currently, I believe, given the current market environment it would be best to buy gold bars or invest in gold ETF. But prior to that, I would check whether the bars are hallmarked or not and the institution whose ETF I would be investing in.” Sharing parallel feelings is Sunny Khanna, director, Watchtower International, who explains the significance of this day. “The word Akshaya, a Sanskrit word, literally means one that never diminishes, and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is widely celebrated in all parts of India by different sections of the society irrespective of their religious faith and social grouping. The day is particularly considered auspicious for buying long term assets like gold and silver, including ornaments made of the same; diamond and other precious stones; and the real estate. The legend states that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya shall continue to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, it is normal to see many of the new ventures, like starting a business, ground breaking for construction, etc. on Akshaya Tritiya,” he says. Regarding his personal approach towards commemorating the festive occasion, he shares, “Last year I had bought an expensive watch on this auspicious day. This year, I will be buying gold for my family and will also invest in stocks. My family believes that I should invest on this day as it brings in Lakshmiji’s blessings into our home. Gold as an investment is precious due to the scarcity; prices are bound to move up always, while blue chip stocks have always given good returns to its investors.” Chintamani Kaigaonkar, director, Chintamani Jewellers, feels that “Akshaya Tritiya is unique mainly because it is considered an auspicious day across all states and communities of our country. It is said that lord Kuber also prays to goddess Lakshmi for wealth and prosperity on this day. Wealth brought in the house on this day will grow, and thus every person must buy symbols of wealth like gold, silver or diamonds to ensure prosperity for the year.” Dilip Lagu, managing director, Lagubandhu, points out that, “Akshaya Tritiya’s significance comes from the fact that it is among the sade teen most auspicious muhurat in the Hindu calendar, when every moment of the entire day is considered favourable to perform anything that is important. The younger generation is usually not so particular about such things, yet we have observed that the day holds its significance for them as well.” Ashish Pethe, director, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers, explains, “Akshaya Tritiya is one of the most auspicious occasions to buy gold jewellery and we have seen that many people do plan their purchases to coincide with this day. It is believed that new ventures and assets bought during Akshaya Tritiya will create more wealth. Many people also gift gold chains, etc. to family members to commemorate this day.”