Festive season is already here. And in India, the festive period from September to November has an important impact on the economy as it raises consumption and acts as an indicator for the coming year. In the past two years, the spirit of the festival has not been as high as it is now, because of the epidemic and the fear of the resurgence of the disease. While for the greater part of the country, the festive spirit disappears around Diwali, in Bengal it begins with Durga Puja.
As Durga Puja has been registered in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, it is not surprising that the Bengal government rushes to celebrate Durga Puja and Carnival. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has often criticized her politicians for their focus and over-enthusiasm on shows, programs and events. Although his pet peeves have their own opinions and arguments, it should not be forgotten that the annual city festival affects the surrounding community and its residents. These cities continue to benefit from the economic transition after the festival.
The economic value of the festival is the easiest to see and often called – the festival attracts visitors, which makes the development of tourism and other businesses in the city or region. The social benefits of festivals are invisible, but they are important. It’s safe to say that programs promote community pride, educate people, and strengthen relationships. Tourism for events, exhibitions and events is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism. It is increasingly increasing in the countryside as a way of reading the economy. May we briefly, let us forget about the opinion of the government that focuses on the economic effect of local festivals.
The story of the Indian goddess Durga is one of female power to overcome evil. The Durga Puja festival is one of the most popular festivals in India, but in recent times the economy around its celebration has decreased. The authors of the article conducted research to assess the economic impact of the Durga Puja festival on the various communities involved. They did this with the results of the first and second tests of their ongoing team at Durgotsav in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The festival has attracted the attention of many national and regional institutions. In July 2018, an agreement was signed between the British Council and the Government of West Bengal to promote people-to-people relations between the UK and the state. The British Council, in consultation with the Tourism Department of the Government of West Bengal, has been given the responsibility of mapping the creative economy around the festival.
Queen Mary University of London was supported by Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur; West Bengal Government; and Smart Cube, Bangalore to carry out the research program. The group focused on 10 companies specifically around the festival.
The industries that develop around this festival range from pandals and temples, lighting and lighting, printing houses, food and beverages, shopping, media, tourism industry, etc. However, due to the lack of consistent data on the festival economy, measuring the actual activity is more difficult than expected.
A 2013 report from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) is among the few reports that show the economic viability of Puja. The size of the economy is estimated at around Rs 25,000 crore in 2013, with an annual growth rate of 35%, according to the study. In 2019, the economic value of the industry around this festival is Rs 32,377 crores. Common laborers carry clay from different rivers to build idols. Photo: Shrabani Saha and Chaitali Sinha
2020 is marked by COVID-19; therefore the economy around Puja has decreased in many places. To revive the situation, the government of West Bengal has announced a grant of Rs 50,000 to each Durga Puja committee.
Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi announced a 20% reduction in the electricity tariff for the Durga Puja committee that year. Durga Puja organizers in West Bengal should spend 75% of the state government’s contribution as per the guidelines.
The study along with secondary sources of data revealed that most of the artisans who make idols come from rural or urban areas in different parts of West Bengal for better wages. These include East and West Midnapore, South and North 24 Parganas and Nadia.
Idol worship lasts throughout the year. They take a break during the Puja day, after which their handicrafts begin for the next year. Many idol artists have inherited this skill from their ancestors and tried to pass it on to the next generation despite many obstacles such as financial problems. A young graduate of a large art school also participates in clay molding.
Making pandals is also part of the extreme pressure associated with this public art exhibition. According to British Council report (2019), the economic value of Durga Puja pandal is Rs 860 crore.
The project team of the British Council has divided the Kolkata Puja pandals into mega, mega, large, medium and small sizes. The amount spent for each registered puja pandal in Kolkata for the main respected group is Rs 1.5 crore; 40.5 million rupees; Rs 15,000,000; Rs 5.4 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh.
In total, the cost for these pandals is Rs 7.5 crore; 18.22 million rupees; Rs 22.50 crore; Rs 27 billion; and Rs 22 crore respectively. According to idols, it is known as courts with the courts, have their origins in Krishnagar de nadia. They went down to Kumtui, a potter mountains near the show near Shobhabazar Kolkatea, local / rural area. The history of clay modeling artists in Kolkata dates back to the 17th century; Kumortuli artisans have been engaged in the profession since the 1950s.
These artisans, whether skilled or unskilled, mostly come from rural Bengal. The art of clay imitating different gods begins in March. The first research done by our team in the Kumortuli area shows that the making of idols of Lakshmi and Kali starts earlier, before being moved to other parts of the studio to create space for Durga Puja. There has been a huge reduction in the sale of these idols in 2020; But 2021 has seen a revolution in the market. Even so, some small-scale workers have suffered because they are losing their contracts. Improper contracts also increase the transaction costs of idolatry.
Interestingly, we found that although idol-making is dominated by men, the number of women artists (mainly because of their family business) has increased. Also, these shrines function as factories very well.
Our research revealed that following the devastating impact of COVID-19 and Cyclone Amphan, many large puja committees have reduced their budgets for the event. Most of the budget money is spent on social causes: helping the victims of Cyclone Amphan, providing masks, protective gear and face shields. Generally, the celebration of Durga Puja in Bengal is closely related to the economic survival of a large section of the population of the state. The state government also actively supported the program.
By: Yogasree Srinivasan
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