People celebrate Akshaya Tritiya at home amid pandemic as gold shops remain closed

New Delhi [India], May 14 : Akshaya Tritiya is one of the most auspicious days celebrated by Hindus across the country. The day is symbolic of good luck, success and fortune gains.
However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the spirits of people for the second consecutive year, making them celebrate the festival with their family members, in the safety of their homes.
The occasion is celebrated on the third day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Vaisakh. According to the Gregorian calendar, this day falls sometime in April-May. It is on this day that both the sun and the moon are said to be at their planetary best alignment.
The day is also known as 'Akha Teej' and is being celebrated on May 14 this year. It is believed that tasks done on this auspicious day are blessed by divine powers and always prove beneficial. It is considered to be an auspicious day to bring home precious metals like gold and silver for prosperity. It was the day when the third of the four Yugas - Treta Yuga began.
Supposedly, the festival also marks the birth anniversary of Parashurama (6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu). It is also believed that Lord Krishna handed Draupadi a Patra (container) in which food appeared in abundance during the period when Pandavas were exiled to forests.
People consider buying gold as 'shubh' or auspicious on this day, as it symbolises wealth and a valuable asset. People believe investing in gold on this day promises eternal fortune and never diminishing wealth.
However, gold buying on the occasion this year may be muted as stores remain closed following lockdowns in some cities. Several restrictions on the movement of vehicles and non-essential goods have also been placed.
Famous jewellery shops in the National Capital Region such as PP Jewellers, Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers, VK Jewellers, Tirupati Jewellers, among others, which generally had always kept their doors open, had to remain shut. ANI reached out to them for comments but there was no response at the time.
Abhinav Jha, a resident of Greater Noida, told ANI, "Buying gold is an essential part of our tradition and represents positivity. However, at the moment the only positivity needed is that to stay back at home and hope that this phase will pass."
Another customer Vaibhavi Sharma, said, "Due to lockdown none of the gold shops have opened today. Buying gold is important but staying safe is more important. I think that everyone should concentrate on staying safe and sound."
The pandemic has created a sense of havoc this year, with the number of people succumbing to the virus increasing every day. This has led to negative consumer sentiment as they are dealing with the loss of near and dear ones.
Speaking about this year's celebration, Vinita Dubey, a resident of Lajpat Nagar said, "The second wave of COVID has impacted every person in some way or another. Amid all this, it doesn't feel right to celebrate the day when people are losing their lives, so this year our family will only be doing 'Pooja' at home and praying for this time to go."
With a total of 3,43,144 new COVID-19 cases being recorded in the last 24 hours, the cumulative count of COVID cases in the country reached 2,40,46,809, informed the Union Health Ministry. This includes 2,00,79,599 discharges and 2,62,317 deaths. There are currently 37,04,893 active cases in the country.