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The exuberant noise and celebration that surrounds Durga Puja is somewhat muted in Kolkata as fierce protests march side by side with festive preparations. Dampening the mood further is the fact that several companies have slashed their sponsorship spends for Durga puja this year.
Overall, there will be a cut in corporate spending to the tune of 15-20 per cent this year, according to “Forum for Durgotsab”, a leading organisation of community Durga pujas in Kolkata. With companies spending less, puja organisers have to cut their budgets.
“Puja organisers generally started their planning around six months ago. Construction of pandals started around two months back. Now, we have to cut budgets as corporate sponsorship is down by 15-20 per cent,” said Saswata Basu, general secretary of Forum for Durgotsab.
RG Khar issue
FMCG and paint companies, which usually have generous spends earmarked for pandal sponsorships and puja campaigns, have cut their budgets this year, industry executives told businessline. The decision to reduce spends comes in the wake of continuing mass movements demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital victim.
On Wednesday, on the occasion of Mahalaya, the day that marks the beginning of Devi Paksha, agitating junior doctors took to the streets in thousands for a mega rally. “We are not in a Puja mood. We will continue to protest on the streets until real culprits are identified and punished, and our sister gets justice,” said one of the doctors.
Junior doctors at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital have unveiled a sculpture titled “Cry of the Hour”, which depicts the pain and trauma of the deceased trainee doctor, who was brutally raped and murdered at the hospital premises.
Of course, there are dual opinions on participating in the festival. Many are urging participation as the livelihoods of several artisans depend on it. More than 2,700 community pujas are held in Kolkata and its suburbs every year. For big and well-known community pujas in the city, budgets vary between ₹1.5 crore and ₹3 crore, and about 70 per cent of this comes from corporate sponsorships.
Last year, higher corporate sponsorships had helped swell community puja budgets by about 20-30 per cent compared with 2022. Barring the pandemic years, almost every year Kolkata’s big community pujas have witnessed hikes in sponsorships.
Fewer hoardings
Durga puja, which made it to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2021, provides a big opportunity for brands to connect with consumers on a cultural and emotional level through colourful hoardings, banners, and kiosks around pandals. This year, fewer hoardings are seen across the city.
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