• 43,000 registered puja committees across West Bengal. These are run by clubs, housing societies, neighbourhood communities. Over and above this, there are pujas organised by families too
• 2,794 registered puja committees in Calcutta alone
• 1 committee equals 1 puja; the standalone term “puja” is used here to refer to a single organised celebration

ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

Big puja

• Budget above ₹1 crore
• 9-10 in Calcutta

Fair-sized puja

• Budget above ₹60 lakh
• 25-30 in Calcutta

Medium-sized puja

• Budget above ₹30 lakh
• 100-odd in Calcutta

Small puja

• Budget above ₹10 lakh
• 1,000 plus in Calcutta

Others

• Budget less than ₹10 lakh
• 1,500-1,600 of them within the city

Bhog of Goddess Durga during Durga Puja at Bandel.

WONDER OF A WEEKLONG FESTIVAL

• Accounts for 2.58 per cent of Bengal’s GDP
• ₹72,000 crore generated in puja revenues in 2023; 45 per cent of it was Calcutta’s contribution
• One medium-sized puja provides direct employment to 100-150 people and indirect employment to 400-500. These include idol makers, shola workers, jewellery makers, chalchitra artists, tress makers, dhakis, priests, security guards, decorators, cooks, electricians, food stall operators, porters, bamboo artisans, event managers
• 3,00,000 people employed in the unorganised sector in Calcutta alone for puja-related business
• ₹50,000 crore is the economic worth of creative industries around it. These include installation art and decoration, idol-making, illumination, literature and publishing, advertising and sponsorship, films and entertainment, crafts and design, fashion

Muslim families of Parbatipur, Bargachhia, Howrah, earn their livelihood by making hairs of Durga, Kali and other gods and goddesses.

BEYOND THE BIG CITY

• Idol makers come from Howrah, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, South Dinajpur, West Burdwan, Nadia
• Sholapith workers come from South 24-Parganas, Nadia, Burdwan, Bolpur, Coochbehar
• Jewellery makers from Howrah, Nadia
• Tress-makers of idols from South 24-Parganas and Howrah
• Chalchitra artists from Nadia, East Midnapore
• Dhakis come from South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia, Murshidabad, Nadia
• Sweetmakers from South 24-Parganas, Hooghly, Burdwan, Birbhum, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda
• Porters from South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Murshidabad
• Musicians from the Sunderbans, Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, Murshidabad, Malda, Jalpaiguri
• Illumination artisans from Chandernagore and Bansberia in Hooghly
• Caterers, cooks and helpers from South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore
• Flowers come from Howrah, Habra in North 24-Parganas, Burdwan, East Midnapore
• Vegetables and fruits from South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Malda and Murshidabad

Lights of Chandannagar carry for Durga Puja.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Restaurants earn over ₹10,000 per day on an average during puja week; there are 60,000 small and big eateries in Calcutta
• The retail sector as well as the aviation industry hire students in the run-up to puja
• ₹33,000 crore earned in retail activities
• 17,000 foreign tourists came to Calcutta during this time last year; 5,00,000 tourists came from the other parts of India
• 30-35 per cent of artisans are women; almost all the patachitra artistes and weavers are women
• 10,000 plus people start preparing for the festive season two months before Durga Puja
• The West Bengal Tourism department runs cruises on the Ganga every day of the Durga Puja
• Special AC Volvo buses ply on all five days of Durga Puja and special tram rides too are organised
• 288 metro rides (North-South) on Panchami and Sasthi each; a spike in night bus service by 30 per cent
• Earlier, records and cassettes were released especially during this time. Now, there is a stack of Bengali film releases

Sandesh, a kind of sweets made at a shop in North Calcutta.

(Most figures are from 2023-24)

(Sources: Forum for Durgotsab, news reports, Confederation of West Bengal Trade Association, Mapping the Creative Economy around Durga Puja 2019, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India, Bengal Hawkers Association)