Advertising Opportunities in Puja: 15 Ways Brands Get Seen at Pandals (2026)
A single pandal has a dozen or more advertising spaces, from the gate and the queue to the stage, stalls and prasad packets. What each one does, who it suits, and real 2026 prices.
Every big puja is a small city for five days, with gates, roads, a stage, a food court, queues and a crowd that does not scroll past you. Each of those spaces is an advertising opportunity you can buy.
Most brands think of puja advertising as one thing: a banner with a logo. In reality a single pandal has a dozen or more different spaces, and they do very different jobs. Some are seen by everyone for a few seconds. Some are read slowly by people standing in a queue. Some put your product straight into a visitor's hand.
This guide lists every advertising opportunity at a puja, what each one does, who it suits, and what it costs in 2026. The prices are from real listings on PujaSathi.
Why advertisers want puja spaces
- People are outside and in a good mood. During Durga Puja, the city itself becomes the place where people spend their time. They walk, queue, eat and take photographs for hours.
- Queue time is dwell time. A famous puja can draw up to a million visitors over the festival, and many of them stand in line for an hour or more. A sign beside a queue is not glanced at, it is read. (Laqshya Media's strategy head made this point to exchange4media in October 2026.)
- It is a big budget season. Industry leaders told Storyboard18 that Durga Puja is the second-largest advertising season after Diwali. National brands put about 8–10% of their festive budget into it, and regional brands in Bengal and the East up to 25–30%.
- It is far bigger than the official numbers. One Kolkata outdoor agency estimates Puja outdoor business in West Bengal at ₹800–1,000 crore over about ten days, while noting that this is an estimate and not an official figure. Most of this money is paid to puja committees as sponsorship, so it never shows up in standard advertising reports.
Brands of every size use it. In 2026, Emami's snack brand WeMe took about 75,000 sq ft of festive branding across roughly 60 Kolkata locations. A neighbourhood sweet shop sponsored the entrance gate of a local puja near its outlet. Both are buying the same thing: being part of the festival instead of interrupting it.
The 15 advertising opportunities at a puja
At the entrance
1. Gate or arch branding. The panel across the top of the entrance, or the whole gate structure. Every visitor walks under it, and it appears in almost every group photograph. It is the most visible space at most pujas. Suits: brands that want to be seen as the puja's main partner. PujaSathi listings: ₹10,000 to ₹1,00,000, typically about ₹42,500. Gate and arch branding guide
2. Title sponsorship ("presented by"). Your name joined to the puja's name on gates, stage announcements and the committee's social posts. It gives the strongest link between your brand and the puja, and often includes other spaces. Suits: a brand that wants to own one neighbourhood. PujaSathi listings: typically about ₹50,000 at neighbourhood and mid-sized pujas, and far more at the famous theme pujas.
Along the approach and the queue
3. Banners. Flex banners along the approach road, the boundary or the inside walls. This is the cheapest way to be at a puja, and it works best when you buy several in a row so people see them again and again. PujaSathi listings: from ₹2,500, typically about ₹5,000.
4. Flex hoardings. Larger boards on bamboo frames on the roads leading to the pandal. In Kolkata these temporary structures now need a Municipal Corporation permission. The committee or its contractor usually handles it, but check. Hoarding and flex guide PujaSathi listings: typically about ₹4,500.
5. Pillar and pole wraps. Branding on the pillars inside the pandal or the lamp posts along the queue. They are at eye level and repeated, which is ideal for a short message and a logo. PujaSathi listings: from ₹1,500, typically about ₹12,000 for a set. Banner and pillar guide
6. Barricade and queue panels. The panels on the crowd barriers. People stand next to them for a long time, so you can use more words here than anywhere else: an offer, a phone number, a QR code.
7. Backlit boards. Boards lit from behind, which stay readable late at night. Ashtami and Navami crowds stay out past midnight, and an unlit banner disappears after dark. PujaSathi listings: ₹4,000 to ₹50,000.
8. Direction and help signage. "Exit this way", "Drinking water", "First aid", "Shoe stand". People need these signs and look for them, so a sponsored sign is read hundreds of times a night. It also makes your brand look helpful, which suits banks, hospitals, insurers and telecom brands.
On and around the stage
9. Stage backdrop. The backdrop behind the cultural stage. It appears in every performance photo and every video the committee posts, and it is in view during the Bodhon, the evening programmes and the Dashami farewell. Stage sponsorship guide PujaSathi listings: from ₹8,000, typically about ₹22,500.
10. Cultural programme sponsorship. One evening's music, dance or quiz "presented by" your brand, with announcements during the show. It is a good way into the puja for a smaller budget. PujaSathi listings: around ₹15,000.
11. LED screens. Video screens beside the stage or on the approach. You can change your creative each day (a different offer on Ashtami and on Navami), and some committees can give a play-log as proof. LED screen guide PujaSathi listings: ₹25,000 to ₹50,000.
Where people stop
12. Stalls and kiosks. A counter of your own in the puja grounds, which turns people seeing your brand into actual sales and sign-ups. It works for food and drink, telecom SIMs, insurance, real estate enquiries and app downloads. Stall booking and sampling guide PujaSathi listings: from ₹8,000, typically about ₹15,500.
13. Product sampling. Your staff hand out drinks, snacks, sachets or leaflets. A visitor tries the product instead of just reading about it, which is why food and personal-care brands love it.
14. Food-court and bhog branding. Branding on the bhog distribution area, the food stalls, plates, napkins or water points. This is where families sit for twenty minutes.
15. Prasad and give-away packets. Your name printed on the prasad box or on a give-away bag that goes home with the family. It costs very little per unit and stays in the house after the puja ends.
Bonus: digital add-ons. Many committees run busy Facebook and Instagram pages and post reels from the pandal every day. Ask for your brand to appear in their posts and live streams. It often costs little or nothing extra.
Which opportunity fits your goal?
| Your goal | Best spaces | Why | |---|---|---| | Everyone should know your name | Gate or arch, title sponsorship, LED | Seen by every visitor and in every photo | | Get footfall to your shop nearby | Banners on the approach road, direction signs, queue panels with your address | Repetition close to your shop | | Get enquiries or leads | Stall, queue panels with a QR code | People have time to stop and act | | Launch a product | Sampling, stall, stage mention | Your product is in people's hands | | Look trusted and caring | Help and direction signs, water points, first-aid booth | Your brand is useful, not just loud | | Small budget | Banners, pillar set, one cultural evening | From ₹2,500 per space |
How to choose the right puja, not just the right space
- Pick the area before the puja. A neighbourhood puja one kilometre from your shop beats a famous puja across the city. Your customers already walk past it.
- Ask for footfall by day. Committee footfall figures are usually not audited, so treat them as estimates. A committee that says "about 8,000 people on Ashtami evening" is more believable than one that says "lakhs".
- Ask for photos of last year's sponsors. Good committees have them. They show you where the spaces really are and how well they were installed.
- Ask for proof of display. Insist on photographs of your branding, up and lit, during the festival. On PujaSathi this is built in. Our proof-of-display standard
- Add a way to measure it. Put a QR code or a pandal-specific offer code on your branding, so you know which puja brought you business. How to measure sponsorship ROI
It's not only Durga Puja
The same opportunities exist at almost every Indian festival. This season: Kali Puja and Diwali (8 November 2026), Chhath ghats (13–16 November) and Jagaddhatri Puja (around 18 November), usually at lower prices than Durga Puja. In 2027: Saraswati Puja (11 February), Rath Yatra (5 July), Ganesh Chaturthi (4–14 September), Navratri (from 30 September), Durga Puja (5–10 October) and Diwali and Kali Puja (29 October), plus Bengali pujas abroad. Read Festival Advertising Opportunities 2026–27 for the full list with booking deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
What are the advertising opportunities at a Durga Puja pandal?
The main ones are gate or arch branding, title sponsorship, banners, flex hoardings, pillar wraps, queue barricade panels, backlit boards, direction signage, stage backdrops, cultural programme sponsorship, LED screens, stalls, product sampling, food-court branding and prasad packets.
What is the cheapest way to advertise at a puja?
Banners and flex boards. On PujaSathi they start at about ₹2,500 per banner at neighbourhood pujas. Buy several along one approach road rather than one big one.
Which puja space gives the most visibility?
The entrance gate or arch. Every visitor passes under it, and it appears in most of the photographs people share.
Which puja space gets the most leads?
A stall or a queue panel with a QR code. People have the time to stop, ask and scan.
How do I book puja advertising?
You can approach a committee directly or through an agency, or book online on PujaSathi, where you see each space with its price and photos, pay securely, and receive photo proof once your branding is up.
Do I need permission to put up advertising at a puja?
The committee normally arranges permission for the pandal and its approach. In Kolkata, temporary hoardings on bamboo frames need a Municipal Corporation permission. Ask the committee to confirm it is in place.
Find your space
Brands: Browse pujas with open advertising spaces. Every listing shows the spaces, the price and photos, and you only pay for what is confirmed.
Puja committees: advertisers are looking for exactly these spaces. List your puja free and price each one.
Related: [How Much Does It Cost to Sponsor a Durga Puja?](/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-sponsor-durga-puja) · [Sponsor a Local Puja Under ₹25,000](/blog/sponsor-local-puja-under-25000-small-business) · [Festival Sponsorship Opportunities in India](/blog/festival-sponsorship-opportunities-india)
