City jewellers reaped the benefits of Dhanteras on Monday as gold flew off the shelves.

Most jewellery shops stayed open till late night to cash in on the demand for the yellow metal, buying which is considered auspicious on Dhanteras.

Bullion traders said that compared to previous years this year the sale is nearly 25 to 30 per cent higher as jewellers have offered incentives such as discounts on making charges.

“This year we are witnessing enthusiasm among buyers,” said Shekhar Keshri, proprietor of Hira Panna Jewellers at Dak Bunglow roundabout. “There has been demand of light-weight jewellery such as rings, earrings, and pendants. Demand for gold coins is also high.”

The price of 10g 22 carat gold in Patna on Monday was Rs 31,100, while the price for the same amount of 24 carat gold was Rs 32, 160.

“This year we have launched rose gold and as per our expectations the demand is higher. Rose gold has ornaments studded with precious and semi precious stones such as rubies and emeralds,” Keshri said.

The scene was similar at the Tanishq showroom on Fraser Road.

Umesh Tekriwal, the store manager, said: “This year we are witnessing a jump of nearly 30 to 35 per cent sale as compared to the previous year, thanks to new products we have launched. There is much demand for our Utsav collection launched this year.”

Both Keshri and Tekriwal said the exact sales figure would be known only by Tuesday.

Electronic goods dealers also made hay as the sun shone on products such as LED televisions, music systems, and smart phones.

“This year there has been jump of nearly 50 to 60 per cent in sale of electronic goods,” said Anuj Kumar Singh, sales manager at Aditya Vision near the Income Tax roundabout. “The sale of 32-inch LED TV is not much as buyers are demanding sets of 43 inch and above.”

The sales of laptops and mobile phones were also higher compared to last year, dealers said. Many companies are offering festive discounts. For example, HP launched a new laptop, DA 0325, and dropped the price from Rs 60,000 to Rs 33,000 for the festive season.

Apart from iPhones, which have a steady demand among iPhanatics, the Samsung A7 is also a hot cake this season. The phone, with three cameras and latest features, is available for Rs 22,990 with cash back of Rs 2,000.