Gold sales, demand of creative lamps up amid Diwali celebrations in Mysuru

Even as purchasing gold during Deepavali is considered auspicious, jewellery shops across Mysuru have witnessed a 25% increase in gold jewellery sales compared to regular days.

Mysuru: Even as festive fervor of Deepavali has spread all around, gold sales are up for festivities. Also amid colourful glittering lights, the tradition of lighting lamps has not faded. Though the demand for traditional hand made earthen lamps has come down, people are embracing creative colourful designer lamps.

Gold sales shine bright despite price surge

Even as purchasing gold during Deepavali is considered auspicious, jewellery shops across Mysuru have witnessed a 25 per cent increase in gold jewellery sales compared to regular days. Interestingly, despite a 67 per cent rise in gold prices from last year to this festive season, customers have not held back on their purchases. “This is because people continue to see gold as a safe and dependable investment. It can be easily liquidated during times of crisis,” said Adarsh K Murthy, President of the Shroff Vartakara Sangha (Mysuru Jewellers Association).

Demand up for creative lamps

D Revanna, an artist from Kumbargeri of Mysuru, said "while our family came up with atleast 10,000 hand made 'Naada Deepas' or traditional earthen lamps about five years ago, now we are coming up with 5000 such lamps. But people have continued the tradition to light lamps. As part of the custom, they buy a pair of lamps to light them at door steps during Karthika month of Hindu calendar. But we are seeing more demand for modern creative lamps designed to match the taste of people of modern times, as per latest trends. We have come up with lamps with designs of Elephant, Peacock, Swan. Along with me my mother Ningamma, wife Bharathi, daughters Padmashri, and Reshmashri join me. We are even coming up with statues of Gods, colourful earthen pots which people use to decorate homes along with lamps," he said.

He added, "even today people at a few villages of Mysuru district like Doora, Hanchya, Suttur of Nanjangud taluk, Sosale of T Narsipur taluk of Mysuru district come up with traditional lamps. At Doora, about 14 families of artisans who used to come up with lakhs of earthen traditional lamps are now coming up with about 50,000 lamps. But some artists like C Govindaraju who are coming up with designer lamps are seeing good demand," Revanna said.

He added that, "In order to meet demand, vendors of Mysuru are getting designer lamps produced using machines, burnt using electricity from other places like Tamil Nadu and other places," Revanna said.