celebrating Akshaya Tritiya 2021 with good deeds than buying Gold

Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam directed by Chimbu Deven, starring Raghava Lawrence, Padmapriya, Lakshmi Rai, and Sandhya – was a good comedy parody on  cowboy stories.

Today, 14^th May 2o21 is ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ – according to some the  Tithi begins at 05:39 and is considered a good time to buy gold for wealth, health and fortune ! over the years, this was hyped to be most auspicious day for purchase and the volumes of gold trade was touching newer peaks.

Covid 19 has changed the way World looked at many things and ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ is no exception.  The  gold price at Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) dipped Rs.161 after making Wednesday close of Rs.47,472 per 10 gm.  The landscape for wholesale gold trading is quite complex and constantly evolving. The three most important gold trading centres are the London OTC market, the US futures market and the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE). These markets comprise more than 90% of global trading volumes and are complemented by smaller secondary market centres around the world (both OTC and exchange-traded).  The Dubai Gold Souk is a traditional market in the heart of old Dubai by the creek.  

Jewellery traders across the country are set to suffer additional business losses amid the lockdown impact on festive sales during Akshaya Tritiya and Eid on Friday. According to the traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the highest amount of gold and jewellery is sold on Akshaya Tritiya annually.  It will be the second consecutive year for the jewellery traders to remain under lockdown  .. ..   in  2019, there was a sale of more than Rs 10,000 crores on Akshaya Tritiya but last year due to lockdown, the gold sale was restricted to only 5 per cent worth around Rs 500 crores. Now in the second year of lockdown on Akshaya Tritiya, the gold and jewellery trade has suffered a big setback,” said Pankaj Arora, National Convenor, All India Jewellers and Goldsmith Federation. 

You may be surprised to know that for  centuries, gold was measured in “tola”  but the advent of metric system overtook this historical association – nowadays, you read daily about the change in price per gram ! In life’s race, often the destination too is forgotten – every morning you wake up, to start running and feel mission unfinished as you hit the bed .. .. .. Corona has changed the way people live .. many have had bitter experiences and are struggling to cope up with the day-to-day occurrences, to them Akshaya Tritiya may not be any charm! 

Back home, for sure you would have noticed in the past years -  so many advertisements and offers being made by famous as also little known jewellers – and everyone is shouting to offer gold ! ~ on this day there used to be huge crowds at gold jewellery shops, while smart some   made online purchase or pre-booked their share of gold.  

My personal belief is when you have money – any day is a good day to buy, save and cherish.  If you think, the day on which rates are lowest is the best day to make a purchase.  Now this time, Covid 19 has made people realize that more than money, it is existence, it is living – living with good health, with near and dear too keeping good health and being in a position to be with them. Life is now all about survival healthily and being with family !!

Be it Akshaya Tritiya or otherwise – when we have some money – keep some for your future, and spend something on society – on the needy ! on poor – on people known to you.. .. …

•            If you donate towards PM Cares Fund / to Hospital / for purchase of oxygen / for medical treatment / health care of anyone suffering – you will be blessed and the blessings will protect you and your family

•                        One can organize food for those affected and those suffering’

•            One can support those daily wage earners who have no avenues for revenue now in the lockdown and are suffering

•            Ensure that you pay full wages to housemaids and other servants employed by you

•            One may think of giving some soft loans to those doing small time business, may be auto-drivers, vegetable vendors and the like

•            Right time to medidate, perform meritorious (Punya karma) deeds – recitations, renditions of holy scripts, penance and other spiritual activities at home

•            Ever be considerate to all fellow human beings – especially to the poor and needy and those like elderly watchmen

•            Good time to start Education and provide educational support to poor

•            Feed cows and other cattle with green fodder – provide food – rice, cereals, water to birds and animals

•            Obliterate the bitter memories of the past and renew relationships

•            Resolve to start a good clean habit – learn and practice Yoga

•            Ensure that you have full insurance protection for your assets

•            Ensure that you have full and proper Health insurance for self and family

•            Serve and support a good organization rendering Social service that you know [perhaps you can think of Srinivas Youngmens Association] (SYMA) 

Happy Akshaya Trithiya ~ plan it to be a Good day for Self & family, rather than for the trader alone. 

In the concluding part of Irumbukottai Murattu Singam, Singaram in disguise as Singam returns after successful adventure of treasure hunt and is hailed in Jayasankarpuram.  The happy residents present him with a large diamond and a platter of gold coins .. .. but Singaram declines the gold coins asking them to build a school with that fund stating that Education is most important and can change the future of children. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
14^th May 2021.