Puja creative economy to go up by 30% after Unesco tag

KOLKATA: Durga Puja is five months away but preparations for Bengal's biggest festival has already begun. The creative economy around the festival is estimated to cross 25%-30% of that of last year, especially after the Unesco honour, say a forum of Durga Puja organisers in Bengal, organising committees and agencies roped in by these committees to win corporate sponsorship.
Creative economy is calculated by assessing the financial impact on industries associated with the festival, including retail, idol-making, setting up of pandals, manufacturing, food and beverage and advertisement. In 2022, the figure stood at Rs 50,000 crore, 54% higher than 2019's Rs 32,377 crore, revealed a joint study by British Council, IIT Kharagpur and the UK's Queen Mary University. The 2022 figure was based on feedback from organisers, advertisers, industry bodies and service providers.
This year, it is expected to surge by almost one-third as organisers have scaled up their budget to add more attractions to their pandals, now thrown open in a couple of days of Mahalaya. Sponsors, too, have losened their purse strings after the Unesco bestowed the honour of Intangible Cultural Heritage on Durga Puja. "The creative economy around Durga Puja is set to go up this year as there is already a lot of excitement around the festival. Committees have started working on various aspects though around five months are left. After the pandemic lull, many organisers have also increased their budget," said Saswata Basu, secretary of Forum for Durgotsab, an umbrella body of puja organisers in the state.
Some committees have released the theme banner, while some have been finalizing the designs and commissioning idols. Organisers of Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin on Diamond Harbour Road have increased their budget by almost 30%. "The work has started and we intend to finish the preparations much before the festival begins," said Sanjay Majumdar, secretary of the committee.
In 2021, Durga Puja was inscribed on Unesco's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a tag that formally took the sate's biggest carnival to the global stage. "Companies want to get associated with various Durga Pujas this year. Many have increased their sponsorship after the Unesco honour. As organisers are getting more sponsorship, they are raising their budget," said Debmalya haldar, general secretary of Bagbazar Sporting Puja Committee.