Durga Puja in Kolkata: A Cultural and Commercial Attraction

• Durga Puja in Kolkata has evolved from a neighborhood festival to a tourist attraction, generating revenue for various stakeholders.

• Bishwanath Ghosh, an electric and sound contractor, shares his experiences working in six pandals and the benefits he derives from the extravaganza.

• Ayan Saha, a 33-year-old artist, has designed two pandals in Behala and Kankurgachi, reflecting societal realities.

• Saha earns between ₹2–3 lakh per pandal, with the highest payment for an artist being ₹55 lakh.

• Durga Puja has become an industry that functions like a Bollywood production, attracting artists, artisans, and the powerful.

• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has allocated ₹10,000 to every puja committee in the State, increasing to ₹1.10 lakh in 2025.

• The British Council’s 2019 survey placed the economic value of creative industries around Durga Puja at ₹32,377 crore, accounting for 2.58% of West Bengal’s GDP at the time.

• Pandals often choose Bengali Asmita as their message, reflecting the prevailing political issues in West Bengal.

• Mamata Banerjee has composed a theme song for a pandal and an album of songs.

Durga Puja: An Economic Symphony and a Financial Powerhouse

• Durga Puja has evolved from a religious event to an economic symphony, with corporate sponsorships becoming the primary funding source.

• This shift began around 2000 and gained traction post-2012 as digital platforms and community-led initiatives matured.

• Brands recognized the influence and spending power of demographics using social media.

• The momentum has been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 puja-boycott calls.

• Brand sponsorships now dominate the funding model, with cumulative spends ranging from a few lakhs to ₹5–6 crore.

• Bankim Paul, a veteran idol-maker in Kumartuli, Kolkata, reports that the community of potters has recovered from losses during the pandemic and the puja boycott.

• The consecration of Durga idols takes place on the sixth day of the Hindu calendar, sashti.

• After Durga Puja was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2021, pandals are inaugurated and pandal hopping begins well before the sixth day.

• MassArt, an initiative, conducts a tour of handpicked pandals in Kolkata before the festival begins to admire the artworks before the crowds choke the venues.

• Durga Puja has become a competitive mega show, benefiting many professions, including labourers and electric and sound contractors.

Pandals & Artisan Heritage is important topic for Civil service exam (WBCS).

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