Dalda bottles decorate Durga deity

Amidst the biggest festivity of Bengal, at Kolkata’s Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samiti Pandal, the Durga deity’s exquisiteness was enhanced by a shringar of a rather different type. A 15 ft x 22ft idol of the goddess was adorned and decorated completely with bottles of Dalda oil. From the jewellery to the crown to other elaborate adornments on the idol, each boasted of an intricate design with Dalda bottles. The entire installation was made as a 3D art and a total of 2000 plus bottles were used in the setting.

The consummate campaign was conceived and executed by the experiential marketing agency The Brand Brewery for Dalda Edible Oils. Adding to the anticipations and the excitement, the opulence of the idol and the uniqueness of the shringar attracted hordes of devotees and enthusiasts to the pandal.

Talking about the campaign, Jaeraj Surve, Director, The Brand Brewery (TBB) said, “In our culture, the Lord’s shringar is one of the most important elements before a puja. During Durga Puja too, pandals put in great efforts to give the best of shringar to Ma Durga’s idol. We thought this was a great occasion to reach out to people since we all know how grand Durga Puja is in Kolkata. This was also a great way to strike an emotional chord with devotees.”

In continuing with the celebrations, TBB also came up with the idea of installing  5000 kalash made out of Dalda bottles at the Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab pandal. Traditionally, the kalash or ghata is meant to represent Goddess Durga and She is invited to stay in the kalash. This installation too had people making a beeline – some to pay their obeisance and other to look at its splendour. Jaeraj added, “Durga Puja is the time when art, culture and creativity all go hand in hand to celebrate one of the biggest festivals of the state. It is that time when people gather together and keep aside all their animosity. Through this kalash installation, we wanted to tap those sentiments and connect with them.”