As a celebration of Diwali, the UK Royal Mint launched its first bullion bar range featuring Goddess Lakshmi for sale on Tuesday, 28 September.
The Lakshmi 20g Gold Bar Minted with the Hindu Goddess of Wealth engraved intricately on the precious metal, was designed by Royal Mint designer Emma Noble and its intricate design is a result of a close collaboration with the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff for cultural authenticity.
The bar retails at £1,080 ( 1 lakh) and went on sale on Tuesday 28 September on the Royal Mint website. Royal Mint’s first ever bar featuring a Hindu deity, or any Indian design, follows the success of henna-inspired packaging introduced last year for 1g and 5g gold bars, which proved incredibly popular in the lead up to Diwali.
The UK Royal Mint described the bar as, “Worshipped daily by Hindus across the world, the goddess Lakshmi is the spiritual embodiment of prosperity, wealth and good fortune. This year, for the first time, The Royal Mint is honouring Vishnu’s beloved consort on a 20g gold minted bullion bar. As beautiful as the precious metal she adorns, this gold bar features a brand new design depicting the gentle and loving goddess in all her glory.”
The ‘Lakshmi’ bullion bar will be formally blessed at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple’s Diwali ceremony as part of their “Lakshmi Poojan”, to be attended by Royal Mint representatives on 4 November.
“With gold being a traditional and auspicious gift during the Diwali festival, we wanted to develop a product that incorporates both beauty and tradition, but with a modern twist.”, Andrew Dickey, Divisional Director for Precious Metals at the Royal Mint, said.
