Naka check dampener on Akshay Tritiya gold sales

Kolkata: Akshay Tritiya started on a muted note on Sunday with lower than expected footfall across jewellery stores in Kolkata. City jewellers however expect a better turnout on Monday as the auspicious occasion stretches over two days. They also apprehended that many buyers stayed away from purchasing gold this time as there was confusion over carrying "old gold" or cash."We are witnessing a low enquiry this time and the overall spirit seems to be down. Many buyers are confused over the norms related to election commission of India's directives over movement of cash and other items. Cases of seizure are also being reported and buyers are confused over carrying old gold or cash," said Rupak Saha, zonal member of the Gem and Jewellery Trade Council of India. "One of our buyers has even requested to get the jewellery delivered at his home as he was not sure if will be violating the ECI norms while carrying jewellery," he added.According to city jewellers, many buyers exchange old gold on Akshay Tritiya and buy new jewellery. Since Jan this year city jewellers started to witness a spike in old gold exchange during the marriage season to bridge the gap between affordability and aspiration."A normal bangle is made of 10gm gold and that is worth nearly Rs 1.5 lakh. Certainly people are now afraid to carry heirloom jewellery to our stores as most of the family gold doesn't have any receipt. This has created a lot of uncertainty among buyers this Akshay Tritiya and people are avoiding any untoward incident at naka check points," said Shubadip Roy of Bengal Jewellery. While the "tithi" for Akshay Tritiya started from 10 am on Sunday, buyers also preferred to purchase it on Monday. "A tithi is incomplete without being preceded by a sunrise. Many prefer to make purchases on Monday," said Saha.However, Annargha Uuttiya Chowdhury of Anjali Jewellers, said: "We are seeing strong sales this Akshaya Tritya as prices have softened which has increased the purchasing power of the client as they're able to buy more gold and diamond for the amount they are paying."At BB Ganguly Street, a cluster of jewellery shops, most shops were decorated for the occasion and staff reported on duty. There was a flurry of customers in the evening but purchase quantity remained small.The industry hoped that sales volume would increase by 3–4% over last year and momentum continued to build. "Customers today are able to derive far greater value for their spend, translating into higher quantity purchases as well as an increased inclination towards diamond jewellery alongside gold," Chowdhury said.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.