Akshaya Tritiya - Where Gold IS loved by All

Akshaya Tritiya’ a day for GOLD?

India is probably the only country where a religious day is linked to a practice of gold buying. It is the Akshaya Tritiya festival day and we are talking tons of gold here. According to estimates, Indian consumers bought about 20 tonnes of the precious metal on this festive day in 2010. However this was much lower than the buy in 2009 due to soaring prices. India, the world's largest consumer of the yellow metal, bought some 45 tonnes of Gold in 2009. So what makes Akshaya Tritiya a day for GOLD?

For Indians buying gold is a popular activity on Akshaya Tritiya day, as it is the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity. This day is important to both Hindus and Jains. According to the traditional panchang Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day (Tritiya) of the new moon of Vaishakh month (April-May) every year.

Akshaya in Sanskrit means one that ‘never diminishes’ (akshaya) and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. Hindus believe they can get lasting prosperity by buying precious metals on the day. Akshaya Tritiya is traditionally earmarked for beginning new ventures, for investing and purchasing valuables especially gold, jewellery and diamond. It is no surprise Indians buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya as it is considered very auspicious and a safe investment. It is also believed that any meaningful activity started on this day would be fruitful.

We all know that 2011 was the best performing year for gold wherein the yellow metal gave highest returns compared to all assets in it class.

Economically this day is quite productive for marketers as they cash in on the festivity to boost their sales. Marketers indulge in high voltage advertisement campaigns especially the jewellery stores. In fact people in India and overseas book jewellery in advance and take delivery on Akshaya Tritiya day. It’s a day of frenzy buying for all precious metals especially gold. Sales on Akshaya Tritiya day usually increases four to five times compared to normal days. Traditionally the preference for customers is to buy light-weight jewellery, diamond jewellery but today’s economic superpower India sees several buyers preferring diamond jewellery purchases.

India is a secular country and each religion has its own story behind the celebrating Akshaya Tritiya and buying gold on this auspicious occasion.

Let’s have a brief look at the different stories behind each celebration.

According to Hindu astrology, the entire Akshaya Tritiya day is auspicious. So there is no need to look for an auspicious time i.e. no ‘Muhurat’ required on this day. This is the only day in any year when the Sun which is the lord of the planets and Moon which is the lord of creativity are in exaltation meaning at their peak of radiance. Astrologically this is extremely auspicious. That also makes this day one of the most popular dates in Hindu calendar for marriages and partnerships.
Glance through the annals of ancient Indian heritage and one finds that on this Tritiya day of Vaishakh month many significant things of great spiritual importance happened. According to Jain legends, this day is auspicious as people from Ayodhya bought gold and jewellery to offer to their Tirthankara Rshabhdev who was the King of Ayodhya centuries ago. Jains, even today, observe long term fast to commemorate their first Tirthankara Rishabhdev and break their fast on Akshaya Tritiya day with sugar cane juice as Rishabhdeva broke his fast with that juice after 1 year.

According to the ancient Hindu religious texts like the Puranas, this day marked the beginning of the "SatyaYug" or the Golden Age - the first of the four Yugas. It is believe that on this day Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a bowl - Akshaya patara (where food came in abundance) when the Pandavas were in exile. Traditionally this third day in the bright fortnight of Vaishakh is also the day of the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu ~ the ‘preserving’ manifestation of God in the Hindu Trinity.

On this day of Akshaya Tritiya, Maharishi Veda Vyas along with Lord Ganesha started writing the great epic Mahabharata. It is also the day the most sacred river of the Hindus, Ganga descended to earth. On this day Sudama visited his childhood buddy Lord Krishna with a hearty gift of a handful of beaten rice (poha). The good returns (prasad) he got in return for his devotion to the Lord is a classical story told in Hindu households. On such a day associated with Lord Krishna the story of Sudama’s offering is mentioned along with Lord Krishna’s affirmation in his Holy Gita ~ “Whoever offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water with devotion, that I accept, offered as it is with a loving heart “.

Thus, many are the reasons for Akshaya Tritiya to be considered a wish fulfilling day. Any worship performed or daan (donation) given on this day is considered extremely good karma. Good karma is considered meritorious and is supposed to bestow beneficial results.

Wold over, gold never seems to lose its sheen and in the domestic market it seems to glitter perpetually. And festivals like Akshaya Triritya keep adding shine to the yellow metal. And there are plenty of instrument apart from jewellery, like coins, bars and exchange traded funds (ETF) that one can invest in.

Get ready to see Gold on a roller coaster ride

While in the domestic markets we saw jewellers preparing in full swing for Akshaya Tritiya, in the global markets we saw gold moving in full swing.

Jewellers are expecting 15-20 per cent increase in sales this Akshaya Tritiya, mainly on the back of positive market sentiment, stable prices and ongoing wedding season.

Apart from the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya the wedding season is also lined up for the month of April, May and June, which has raised the demand for gold further. As buyers expect further rise in gold prices, they have started making their purchases to avoid any further price rise.

Overall there is a positive sentiment in the market so a sales growth of 15-20 % is expected this Akshaya Tritiya.

Globally so far, gold has risen more than 3 percent this year, marked by international tensions and volatility in equities, but has yet to emerge from a tight trading range in the face of an expectation for rising U.S. interest rates.

Prices for gold this week rose to their highest levels since Jan. 25, as escalating tensions in Syria, U.S. sanctions on Russia and the U.S.-China trade stand-off weighed on global equities and the U.S. dollar index.

Gold's safe haven status was tested this week as Donald Trump's economic war threatened to turn into a shooting war, with a number of global spots getting hotter. Precious metal moved from a close of $1325.69 an ounce on April 5 to $1337.90 on April 12, dipping on Thursday after reaching a high of $1364.50 during Wednesday morning trading – the highest it's been since Feb. 14
So far, Gold has also outperformed all other precious metals this year.

The headlines this week have been full of escalations of continuing and new conflicts around the world. Here is a rundown-

Trade Wars- Countries over the world are now dependent on each other for exports and imports.
Many major American companies that are household names such as Starbucks (SBUX), Boeing (BA) and Apple (AAPL) rely on their exports (and imports) from China for a sizable portion of their overall sales and profits.

But the escalating trade war between China and US could hurt the revenues of these companies as each country is retaliating with its own harsh measures.

But there are news revolving in the markets that has China just recently launched a new $1.6 billion initiative called “Made in China 2025.”

This initiative would focus on an increase in research and development spending thus making China more self dependent which will further help companies to rely less on international technology and equipment. The more China buys internally, the less it will buy American products or need to export to the U.S.

That means it could shift its trade focus away from the U.S., while purchasing fewer American goods. All of that could hurt manufacturers in both countries and increase volatility into the share prices of companies involved.

Geopolitical- There is rising tensions on the geopolitical front as US is expected to attack Syria any moment now in response to the chemical attack against civilians last week. But Russia has warned that in this course if Russian military personnel are harmed in any manner then US should be ready to face “grave consequences"

Now that President Trump has John Bolton as his National Security Adviser, the geopolitical spot has increased even further. On Feb. 28, Bolton published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal supporting a preemptive nuclear strike against North Korea.

On Wednesday Trump cranked up the threats, tweeting “Get ready Russia, because [missiles] will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'!” which caused the spike in the gold price. Later he appeared to open a window to a more peaceful solution, tweeting that “it could be soon or not so soon at all,” causing gold to lose its earlier momentum.

That gives us an insight into what policy recommendations President Trump might be provided with now.

Even the perceived threat of diplomatic fallout and rumors of a military response can elevate volatility. War games between the U.S. and North Korea would be expected recoil — and that would mean uncertainty over China’s response.

That would give greater rise to volatile conditions in trade, regional security and stability on the Peninsula. By isolating China — North Korea’s top economic partner and military alley — tensions would only escalate.

Needless to say, any armed conflict between two nuclear powers carries great potential risk. One single incident could trigger an escalating spiral.

US Political Risk- November will also bring along a lot of volatility and uncertainty as midterm elections are going to be held.

The U.S would be caught up in more political instability that will harm market stability which further raises concerns that markets are being left uncertain and pondering to guess what happens next?

The world has become a much more dangerous place in the last few weeks. Between competing naval exercises in the South China Sea, a chemical weapons attack in Syria, US and European sanctions on Russia, a likely showdown over the Iran nuclear deal, and a host of other (i.e. India v Pakistan) conflicts not even mentioned here, investors have reason to turn to safe-haven assets – and gold has benefited.

Threats of war are always factored into the safe-haven value of gold on any given day, but we may be witnessing a sea-change where it is difficult to imagine a return to any sense of normalcy anytime soon – especially given Trump's determination to put America's interests first despite ruffling a lot of feathers with both allies and adversaries.

Given these hotspots for the next three months or even further, we expect gold to move on a rollercoaster ride.

Importance of Dhanteras

This October calls for festive celebration as it welcome Diwali and Dhanteras. The festival of lights is preceded with Dhanteras when people throng markets to buy gold items and utensils for daily utility. But have you ever wondered why?

Today, let's get to know why Dhanteras remains the much-awaited festival among Indians and also possibly the best one for purchasing gold after Akshaya Tritiya. Dhanteras happens to fall on the first day of the five-day-long Diwali festivity. Interestingly, the festival also goes by the name 'Dhanatrayodashi' or 'Dhanvantari Trayodashi'. The word 'Dhan' means wealth and 'Trayodashi' means 13th day as per Hindu calendar. Dhanteras usually falls on a day or two before Lakshmi Puja during Diwali.

It is largely believed that on Dhanteras goddess Lakshmi visits the homes of her devotees and fulfils their wishes. It holds special significance for the business community due to the customary purchases of precious metals on this day. Also, Lord Kubera, the God of assets and wealth is also worshipped on this day.

Most Hindu families prefer purchasing gold during Diwali. Purchasing gold during Diwali is religiously significant as buying gold during Diwali is considered auspicious. The ritual of buying gold during Diwali is equivalent of inviting Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity at home.

Apart from jewellery, the most preferred items to purchase gold during Diwali are coins. In India, gold coins are specially moulded for Diwali with Goddess Lakshmi embossed on the front and her symbol Shri embossed at the other side of the coin. In other coins, both Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, and optionally Goddess Saraswati, are embossed on gold coins.

Is the first day of Diwali which usually falls one or two days before Lakshmi Puja. This year we celebrate Dhanteras on 17th October and Diwali on 19th October .This festival is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and energy. If Diwali is called Festival of rights, we can call Dhanteras the Festival of buying gold and silver. And most of the purchasers buy gold during particular Muhurat. The Muhurat (chogdiya) for this year are:


Dhanatrayodashi Muhurat to Buy Gold 

October 17, 2017 (Tuesday) - 06:26 to 24:08+

Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 06:26 to 24:08+
Morning Muhurta (Char, Labh, Amrit) = 09:17 - 13:31
Afternoon Muhurta (Shubh) = 14:56 - 16:21
Evening Muhurta (Labh) = 19:21 - 20:56
Night Muhurta (Shubh, Amrit, Char) = 22:31 - 24:08+

Akshaya Tritiya’ a day for GOLD?

India is probably the only country where a religious day is linked to a practice of gold buying. It is the Akshaya Tritiya festival day and we are talking tons of gold here. According to estimates, Indian consumers bought about 20 tonnes of the precious metal on this festive day in 2010. However this was much lower than the buy in 2009 due to soaring prices. India, the world's largest consumer of the yellow metal, bought some 45 tonnes of Gold in 2009. So what makes Akshaya Tritiya a day for GOLD?

For Indians buying gold is a popular activity on Akshaya Tritiya day, as it is the ultimate symbol of wealth and prosperity. This year the date of Akshaya Tritiya is Saturday, 29^th April. This day is important to both Hindus and Jains. According to the traditional panchang Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day (Tritiya) of the new moon of Vaishakh month (April-May) every year.

Akshaya in Sanskrit means one that ‘never diminishes’ (a—kshaya) and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. Hindus believe they can get lasting prosperity by buying precious metals on the day. Akshaya Tritiya is traditionally earmarked for beginning new ventures, for investing and purchasing valuables especially gold, jewellery and diamond. It is no surprise Indians buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya as it is considered very auspicious and a safe investment. It is also believed that any meaningful activity started on this day would be fruitful.

We all know that 2011 was the best performing year for gold wherein the yellow metal gave highest returns compared to all assets in it class.

Economically this day is quite productive for marketers as they cash in on the festivity to boost their sales. Marketers indulge in high voltage advertisement campaigns especially the jewellery stores. In fact people in India and overseas book jewellery in advance and take delivery on Akshaya Tritiya day. It’s a day of frenzy buying for all precious metals especially gold. Sales on Akshaya Tritiya day usually increases four to five times compared to normal days. Traditionally the preference for customers is to buy light-weight jewellery, diamond jewellery but today’s economic superpower India sees several buyers preferring diamond jewellery purchases.

India is a secular country and each religion has its own story behind the celebrating Akshaya Tritiya and buying gold on this auspicious occasion.

Let’s have a brief look at the different stories behind each celebration.

According to Hindu astrology, the entire Akshaya Tritiya day is auspicious. So there is no need to look for an auspicious time i.e. no ‘Muhurat’ required on this day. This is the only day in any year when the Sun which is the lord of the planets and Moon which is the lord of creativity are in exaltation meaning at their peak of radiance. Astrologically this is extremely auspicious. That also makes this day one of the most popular dates in Hindu calendar for marriages and partnerships.

Glance through the annals of ancient Indian heritage and one finds that on this Tritiya day of Vaishakh month many significant things of great spiritual importance happened. According to Jain legends, this day is auspicious as people from Ayodhya bought gold and jewellery to offer to their Tirthankara Rshabhdev who was the King of Ayodhya centuries ago. Jains, even today, observe long term fast to commemorate their first Tirthankara Rishabhdev and break their fast on Akshaya Tritiya day with sugar cane juice as Rishabhdeva broke his fast with that juice after 1 year.

According to the ancient Hindu religious texts like the Puranas, this day marked the beginning of the "SatyaYug" or the Golden Age - the first of the four Yugas. It is believe that on this day Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a bowl - Akshaya patara (where food came in abundance) when the Pandavas were in exile. Traditionally this third day in the bright fortnight of Vaishakh is also the day of the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu ~ the ‘preserving’ manifestation of God in the Hindu Trinity.

On this day of Akshaya Tritiya, Maharishi Veda Vyas along with Lord Ganesha started writing the great epic Mahabharata. It is also the day the most sacred river of the Hindus, Ganga descended to earth. On this day Sudama visited his childhood buddy Lord Krishna with a hearty gift of a handful of beaten rice (poha). The good returns (prasad) he got in return for his devotion to the Lord is a classical story told in Hindu households. On such a day associated with Lord Krishna the story of Sudama’s offering is mentioned along with Lord Krishna’s affirmation in his Holy Gita ~ "Whoever offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water with devotion, that I accept, offered as it is with a loving heart ".

Thus, many are the reasons for Akshaya Tritiya to be considered a wish fulfilling day. Any worship performed or daan (donation) given on this day is considered extremely good karma. Good karma is considered meritorious and is supposed to bestow beneficial results.

Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to Buy Gold

April 28, 2017 (Friday) - 10:29 to 29:46+

Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 10:29 to 29:46+

Morning Muhurat (Char, Labh, Amrit) = 10:29 - 10:41
Afternoon Muhurta (Shubh) = 12:19 - 13:57
Afternoon Muhurta (Char) = 17:13 - 18:51
Night Muhurta (Labh) = 21:34 - 22:56
Night Muhurta (Shubh, Amrit, Char) = 24:18+ - 28:24+

Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat to Buy Gold

April 29, 2017 (Saturday) - 05:46 to 06:55

Auspicious Choghadiya timings between 05:46 to 06:55

No Muhurat Available

HAPPY AKSHAYA TRITIYA: RSBL

                                                    By Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL

Firstly wishing everyone a very Happy Akshaya Tritiya. May this year be filled with wealth and prosperity.

We have seen many stories being revolved around this auspicious occasion. Our mythology and scriptures are filled with many interesting stories that relate to Akshaya Tritiya. Out of those, the tale if friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama is relevant not only to understand the importance of this day, but also to emphasize on the need of having a true friend.

Sudama, also known as Kuchela, was one of Krishna’s childhood friends and the two share an equation so strong that it has become a legend of sorts. According to Hindu mythology, while Krishna went on to rule Dwarka, Sudama led a simple life and could hardly make ends meet. He needed all the financial assistance he could to led a normal life. Sudama led a life of poverty. 

One day, his wife could not bear to see their children hungry and said “can’t you ask Lord Krishna for help?” Sudama agreed but decided that he would not ask Krishna for anything. Then Sudama's wife borrowed some puffed rice from a neighbor and gave it to Sudama as a gift for Krishna. When Sudama came to Dwarka, Krishna was overjoyed! Then, he saw his pouch and snatched it fro

m his hand. “Puffed Rice! My favorite dish!” said Krishna and he ate a handful of rice greedily. 

Before he could take a second handful, Rukmini, stopped him, saying “One mouthful will give him all that he needs my Lord!”/ The next morning, Sudama left Dwarka. As he approached his house he saw a grand mansion. His wife and children came out wearing jewels and fine clothes. Sudama was filled with joy and happiness as his friend had given him more than he ever needed. The day when Krishna blessed Sudama with abundant wealth was marked as Akshaya Tritiya. 

This is one of the reasons why this day is celebrated as a day of material gain and wealth. Hence the custom of buying gold, silver, real estate etc has been followed.

Once again, it’s that time of the year where everyone is talking about investing in gold! Buying gold funds, jewelry and coins on Akshaya Tritiya is considered the best way to invest your wealth on this auspicious day. Though nowadays people look for other avenues like real estate, gadgets but nothing can replace gold.

 As the history of our country has it, after Dhanteras, maximum purchase of Gold, Silver and Platinum happen on this day.

People this year are full of mixed feelings-anxiety, excitement, nervousness as a lot is been happening around gold since the past few weeks.

Generally we also witness a price rise few days ahead of Akshaya Tritiya due to the rise in demand for the yellow metal.

In fact demand for gold this year is expected to be better than last year because-

Monsoons- A good monsoon will lead to rise in demand for gold prices this year which will ultimately boos prices. Those who expect further rise in gold prices may advance their purchases.

Strike- the jewelers went on strike after the announcement of excise levy. The industry is gearing up to meet the pent-up demand, which will be witnessed during this Akshaya Tritiya. There were many players who couldn’t make their purchases during the strike and will now enter the market to buy gold on this auspicious day

Gold rally- Recent rally in gold prices due to global influential factors have propelled investors and traders to anticipate further price rise which has pre-poned their purchases of the yellow metal.

As we all know this quarter has been the best quarter for gold in the past three decades. Prices have ranged between Rs.24, 910 to Rs.30, 300 per 10 gram. On one side where we see sales dampening due to this high volatility, on the other hand we also expect the demand for gold to rise given the global and domestic factors that have been influencing gold.

Traders also anticipate that in terms of volume, consumer demand might witness a negative growth of about 10%, but in value terms, it is likely to be at par with last year’s sales.

Above all demand for gold this year is expected to be comparatively better that the past 2 years.

The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.

 Previous Blog

"RSBL: Gold & Silver Price Rise"

http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2016/05/rsbl-gold-silver-prices-rise.html

RSBL: A PUZZLED MARKET FOR GOLD

 By Mr. Prithviraj Kothari, MD, RSBL

It was a rather confused market for gold this week. The negatives pushed gold high while the stability kept it low. 

Though it was a neutral week for gold, it managed to stabilize over $1200 an ounce. The recent gains on gold prices have been supported by-

• The sluggish reports from the US economy
• The dreary March payrolls report from the Labor Department
• The slowly advancing US housing reports
• Rise in SPDR Gold Shares
• The uncertainties about Greece’s finances
• Other geopolitical tensions

The sluggish economic reports have raised the expectations that the US central bank would not be hiking the interest rates before September. 

The weak economic data this week did not have much impact on gold prices. Neither the US housing reports nor the declining dollar – gold prices did not bank on any of these factors. 

The gold price remained in positive territory in Friday afternoon trading despite the dollar managing to claw back.  Spot gold was seen trading at $1,204.70/1,205.50 per ounce was up $7 on the previous session’s close. Reasons supporting this are:

Greece Crisis: Investors shifted focus to gold to seek safe haven after world stock markets tracked lower over worries of a potential Greek debt repayment default. 


Meanwhile, Consumer prices in the euro zone rose for the second straight month in March, not enough to pull annual inflation out of negative territory but another positive sign as the currency bloc looks to escape prolonged deflation.

Sluggish reports from US: US Industrial production disappointed in March to print -0.6% (expected: -0.3%) to suffer its largest fall in well over two years. US retail sales too printed a lower figure of 0.9% vs 1.1% expected

SPDR Gold trust- Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold backed exchange traded fund, remained unchanged at 736.08 tons, from its previous close of 734.29 tons

Demand for Gold: Physical buying in the world's top two gold consuming countries is expected to rise. A spate of manufacturing data from all the world’s major economies next week as well as the key Hindu festival of Akshaya Tritiya in India on Tuesday, which is widely regarded to be the most auspicious day in the country’s calendar to buy gold, could prove key to near-term direction. India’s March gold imports rose 94 percent year-on-year to $4.98 billion, according to the  trade ministry.

In the week to come factors supporting a bullish sentiment for Gold are: 

Weak US Dollar: A weak U.S. dollar could end up taking some momentum away from equity markets and that could help gold prices. Further weakness in the dollar could push up gold prices as bullion is seen as a safe-haven asset.

Eurozone: Negative bond yields in Europe continue to make the yellow metal an attractive safe-haven investment. Meeting of Eurozone ministers on the 24th April where Greece debt deal issue will take the center stage.

Economic Data from US: Though it will be a slow week for economic data, it will play a crucial role in influencing gold prices and the highlight will come on Friday with the release of U.S. durable goods for March. Disappointing economic data will make it clear the Federal Reserve will be unable to raise rates as high or as fast as markets are currently expecting and as a result, gold will benefit.

US rate hike: The G-20 did acknowledge the  fact that a FED tightening could send shock waves around the Globe.

For the time being Markets are puzzled when it comes to Gold price move. Until we get clear-cut news from the U.S. economy; that will allow the Fed to make a definitive move on rates or the clearance on Greece debt deal issue, Gold is bounded in a range of $1170 to $1238.

TRADE RANGE:
 

METAL	INTERNATIONAL price	DOMESTIC price
GOLD	$1194- $1230 an ounce	Rs.26,500- Rs.27,800 per 10gm
SILVER	$15.63- $17.00 an ounce	Rs.35,000-Rs.37,500 per kg

Investment tip:

For Gold: BUY ON DIPS

For Silver: Buy for future. Some facts:
1. 750 million ounces of Sivler are produced everyday which is worth US$14 billion. A price tag which is nothing in the current world. Individual companies are brought and sold at this price level.
2. New silver deposit exploration has found very little over the last decade.
3. Uses of Silver have been growing consistently in medical, Solar, Industrial etc fields. Relating to its increasing demand. A did read in an article that if the Silver is used at the current rate and only this much production happens across the world, then it can be extinct in the next 25 years or so.

“The primary purpose of this blog by Prithviraj Kothari - MD, RSBL, is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.”

- Previous blog -

"RSBL: Good Opportunity To Buy Gold"

http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2015/04/rsbl-good-opportunity-to-buy-gold.html