1. What is Durga Puja?
Durga Puja, also called Durgotsava, is a Hindu festival that reveres the goddess Durga. It marks her victorious battle with the shape-shifting buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, the festival symbolises the victory of good over evil, and is also in part a harvest festival that marks the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.
2. Who celebrates Durga Puja?
Durga Puja is particularly popular in India’s West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, as well as Bangladesh and the diaspora from this region. It is also celebrated in Nepal, where the festival is called Dashain.
3. Where is Durga Puja celebrated?
Durga Puja is celebrated in India, South Asia, Australia, and all around the world. At 27 per cent, Indians are the fastest growing population in Australia (Census, 2016) and this demographic numbers more than 700,000 with many celebrating this cultural festival.
Women at the Bengali Association Durga Puja in Sydney
Source: Durgautsav
4. How do people celebrate Durga Puja?
Indians are culturally rooted. They celebrate and thrive on their cultural events such as Durga Puja. Temples and stages are decorated, and scriptures recited. There are also typically a range of performance arts and processions performed, along with the requisite revelry, jubilant atmosphere and delicious traditional foods served.
5. When is Durga Puja?
The Durga Puja festival is a ten-day event, of which the last five mark the popular practices. This year, Durga Puja will begin on Monday 15 October and end on Friday 19 October 2018.
6. Why should a brand get involved with Durga Puja festival-based messaging?
Durga Puja festivities lend an array of great marketing opportunities for brands to tap into. Puja-based marketing creates an emotional connect with South Asian audiences celebrating and, done tastefully and well, can translate into strong brand goodwill.
7. Which brands have been doing Durga Puja well?
Here are three great examples.
Indian Fashion House Pantaloons emotional television commercial tapping into the spirit of Durga Puja
Subtle referencing of Durga Puja in Coca Cola creative
Source: Kulzy
8. How can I get involved with a campaign targeting Australia’s Indian and South Asian diaspora?
Durga Puja is an excellent time in India to launch a product especially in the Eastern States of India, however in Australia this could be a great period to connect through goodwill messages and promote a brand within this fastest-growing South Asian/ Bengali/ Nepali/ Bangladeshi audiences.
Contact MultiConnexions today to get involved and build your brand’s relationship with these niche audiences in a meaningful way.