The Significance of Gold at Diwali

As the 2021 festive season of Diwali approaches, millions of people around the world are preparing to celebrate. The colourful festival is known for its traditional gifts, which include brightly coloured sweet delicacies such as gulab, dried fruits and luxurious gift hampers, together with flowers and trinkets. However, no Diwali celebration would be complete without a touch of gold – so what is its significance?

The five-day festival begins with Dhanteras, and gold plays a key role in its story. According to mythology, King Hima’s son was saved from a fate of death by snakebite thanks to a large distracting pile of gold at the family’s door. This legend has inspired a tradition of buying gold on Dhanteras to ensure good luck.

Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of Fortune and Prosperity, is synonymous with gold, and is considered by many to be an important part of Diwali. 

It’s easy to see how gold is such a central part of the festival of lights. However, while gold jewellery has been the favoured gift for a long time, gold bullion is leading the way with a modern update on tradition. The demand for gold varies throughout the year, but we often see a spike just before a major holiday like Diwali, with buyers rushing to snap up bars and coins in smaller quantities, which can be given as gifts.

Bullion has been chosen as an investment by individuals, governments and organisations for hundreds of years. In more recent times, people have considered it a hedge against stock market volatility and geopolitical events. The Lakshmi and Britannia minted gold bars, for the first time, bring together time-honoured tradition and minting excellence in 1g, 5g and 20g editions. Each bar is imprinted with a unique serial number and is beautifully presented in colourful, henna-style packaging, ready to give to your loved ones this Diwali.