CUTTACK: The Durga Puja fervour has reached a crescendo in the Silver City. And so has the publicity blitz. Big corporate houses and small local business units have found a smart way to cash in on the festive spirit. Many of them have erected welcome gates along the routes to big and famous Puja pandals to draw the attention of the visitors. This publicity is mutually beneficial for both the businessmen and the Puja committees. While the traders reap the benefits of publicity, the committees earn a fair amount through sponsorship. Prafulla Sarkar, member of Jhanjir Mangala Puja Committee, said, “More than a lakh people witness our pandal during the five days of the festival. Just imagine the kind of publicity the corporate houses get.” Telecom service providers and manufacturers of electronic goods are the most common players in this field. Sources said they shell out anything between ` 15,000 and ` 25,000 to Puja committees for each gate erected. Many Puja pandals __ at Haripur Road, Chandini Chowk and Sheikh Bazaar __ have more than five gates each. Visitors to the pandals, however, are not too happy. Dolomundai resident Dasarath Ram, who had gone pandal-hopping with his family, said, ‘’These wooden gates often create problems for visitors. They occupy a lot of space and make it difficult for us to enter or exit a pandal.” Gates are not the only means of advertisement though. Hoardings and banners also jostle for space. As these are more affordable __ advertisers pay between ` 2,000 and ` 5,000 for one __ smaller players such as private coaching centres and shops have gone for display boards. Organisers, however, claim that they do not invite such sponsorships, though the aid is always welcome. “These corporate houses are some of the biggest financiers of Puja committees. But we never approach corporate houses to erect the welcome gates,” said Basudev Behera, president of Haripur Puja Committee. While industry leaders have gone for large-scale publicity, vendors have relied more on taking the goods to the revellers. Many of them have put up stalls of toys, electronic gadgets, clothes and snacks near the pandals. Mahadev Sahu, owner of a toy stall at Chandini Chowk, said, “I had set up one at the same place last year as well. Business is brisk as toys are always in demand.” Also cashing in on the festive mood are the fast-food vendors who spread myriad types of mouthwatering foods which leave the visitors smacking their lips.
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