Jamshedpur decks up for Dhanteras shopping, offers to woo buyers

Jamshedpur, Nov 1: Amidst the threat of a third wave of Covid-19 looming large, the steel city is all set for Dhanteras shopping bonanza. It’s Diwali, the festival of lights and preceding which is Dhan Teras, an important episode of the festival of lights. The city is all set to celebrate dhanteras tomorrow.

Usually, it is the jewellers who cash in on the gold rush. However, this year the electronics goods dealers are also making merry as products like LEDs, music systems and iPhones are in demand.

Most places have been brightly lit up well in advance with a view to celebrate the occasion in an elaborate manner.  Food joints and sweet shops have been specially illuminated with lights and festoons while the retail stores selling garments and other such lifestyle accessories have surfaced with special offers and attractive price discounts on every purchase.

And interestingly, the trend of Diwali shopping has caught up with denizens too. It seems as with each year passing, there is a significant rise in the number of shoppers during this festival time.

“I will prefer a LED TV to an expensive piece of gold jewellery this time because the new range of television sets are the latest range,” said a buyer.

Since Dhanteras is considered to be an auspicious day, people wait for this day to buy new vehicles too.

 “People want their cars to be delivered on Dhanteras. On this day our sales soared and there were a large number of bookings too. Our showroom was packed with people,” said an owner.

However, jewellery shows continued to attract buyers in large numbers. People can be seen buying the latest designs of gold and diamond sets.

An interesting story about Dhanteras Festival says that once the sixteen year old son of King Hima was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope. On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep.

She laid all the ornaments and lots of silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband’s boudoir and lit innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs. When Yama, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince’s chamber.

So he climbed on top of the heap of ornaments and coins and sat there the whole night listening to the melodious songs.

In the morning he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death.

Since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of “Yamadeepdaan” and lamps are kept burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yama, the god of Death.