Thursday, 26 September 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
There has been a significant dip in footfall in the marketplaces thanks to the ongoing Pitru Paksha (Shradh) period. Notably, Pitru Paksha, which began this year on September 17 and will continue until October 2, is a time when followers of Sanatan Dharma pay homage to their ancestors. Apart from this, people refrain from making new purchases during this period. Consequently, many traders trading from the major markets of Dehradun such as Paltan Bazaar and those on Raja Road are reporting a 30 to 40 per cent decrease in their sales
Talking to The Pioneer, the president of the Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM) Pankaj Mason said that though a dip in sale is a routine experience they undergo every year during this period the volume of the dip this year is worrisome. “We are encountering a decline in the sales in the neighbourhood of 80 per cent. This is worrisome and we keep incurring financial losses,” he said.
He further said that things had looked up a little for them after the young generation started thronging shops for purchase. “We have noted a 20 per cent increase in sales during the Shradh period due to this fact. The youngsters are progressing and so they are not that rigid,’ he added
The same dip is affecting the jewellers too. Speaking of this matter, the owner of a jewellery shop in Dehradun Harkirat Singh said that compared to previous years, the sale of gold jewellery at his store has seen a decline averaging between 30 to 40 per cent during the Shradh period. “Multiple factors are behind this dip. First is the religious belief that it is inauspicious to purchase jewellery during this time. Additionally, the price of 24-carat gold per gramme has risen to Rs 76,000. I believe this is another significant reason for our plummeting sales,” he added.
He too mentioned the younger generation, saying that they are making purchases during this period.
Queried why they are so rigid in their belief that it is inauspicious to buy unessential items during the Shradh period, a Doonite Vineta Bahri said that this is a tradition going on for generations. “My parents used to follow this tradition; their parents did the same. So, we cannot defy and go for buying items which are not absolutely necessary during the period of Shradh. However, as soon as Navaratri begins, we will commence buying clothes and other items for our homes,” she added.
