Durga Puuja Analysis

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Devi Durga at the altar of trade and commerce. ARKA MONDAL GONE are the days when Durga Puja just meant innocent celebration of joy and fun, brandishing of new clothes, going to movies and freaking out with friends and relatives for non-stop ‘adda’. With the ‘corporate culture’ getting imbibed in the blood of Bengalis, even Durga Puja now reeks of ‘brands’. The characters of yesteryear’s innocent fun, simple pleasures, community camaraderie and bonhomie have been savagely replaced by commercialization and showbiz. The essential cultural, religious and social aspects have been usurped by heavy corporatization with big FMCG players providing their own mantras. With the ongoing trend of Durga idols across Kolkata getting decked with heavy jewellery from big brands, corporatization was inevitable. Durga Puja has always been a much-awaited and eagerly anticipated 4-day whoopee, a refreshing break from the rigours of everyday life, filled with excitement, fun and laughter. Though this has remained unchanged, the modus operandi of celebration has changed. Though brands are optimistic on the newly conjured formula for success, professional who handle brands are cautious as branding a Durga Puja is tightrope walk between tradition and corporatization. …show more content…

Months before the Durga Puja, FMCG stalwart Hindustan Unilever branded rotis at the Kumbh Mela in recent years. Each roti bore the message, “Lifebuoy se haath dhoye kya?” Such innovative campaigning cements the brand in the mind of the consumer besides keeping the sanctity of the rituals sacrosanct. The Durga puja has become an object for the brands outside West Bengal as well. The puja witnessed dining chain Speciality Restaurants sponsoring the bhog at seven of the biggest puja pandals in Mumbai, including that of Lokhandwala, besides the Kalibari puja in New Delhi. However, the company did not brand the bhog with any of the names of its

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