Buying gold is an integral part of Dhanteras celebrations. Dhanteras, which is observed on the 13th day of the month of Ashwin is considered as the most auspicious occasion for buying gold.
This year too, there is a high demand for the yellow metal on Dhanteras, despite the prices being high.
REUTERS
But this year, there is a campaign which is encouraging? Indian women to invest in themselves than in gold.
Project Streedhan is an initiative that has been launched to encourage Indian women to fight iron deficiency in their bodies.?
Indian women are said to be among the poorest in Iron count and more than 50% of women in urban India are also anaemic.
The campaign attempts to equate the importance of purity of gold ¨C a precious metal - with that of the iron count in a woman¡¯s body ¨C another precious metal, as it were.
Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer of FCB Ulka who is sphere heading the campaign said the idea was to create awareness among urban women about anemia.?
"Even among women who are educated and have access to money, the number of those with anemia is very high. Eating habits, lifestyle, diet are some of the reasons that we have such high iron deficiency," Bhattacharya said.
"Women's diseases are often seen as 'softer' and there is hardly any conversation around it. This campaign is aimed at bringing them to the center stage," she added.?
BCCL
Several jewelry groups across the country including Hazoorilal Legend, KK Jewellers and MBJ (North) NAC Jewellers and N. Gopaldas (South), Ishwarlal Harjivandas Jewellers and Kundanlal Jewellers (West) and DK Bengal Jewellers (East) all have expressed their support to the campaign and have pledged to take the message forward.?
Many celebrities including actress Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza, Rituparna Sengupta, Mandira Bedi, Soha Ali Khan, Tillotama Shome, author Anuja Chauhan have also come forward to support the initiative and spread the message.?
Lifestyle changes, Bhattacharya said is one of the biggest reasons for iron deficiency among women.
UNSPLASH
"In the olden times, we used to use iron skillets for cooking. Our traditional recipes and food habits also made sure that we had all the necessary ingredients. But now all those are gone," she said.
"An urban woman should ideally get 15-20 minutes of sunlight. But most of them spent their entire day inside AC offices and homes. Even when they step out they are inside AC cars. These are things that need to be changed and women should become more aware of their body," she said.?