West Bengal to make Durga Puja a Global brand in major tourism push

Kolkata, June 23 -- The West Bengal government will launch a campaign to build an exclusive global brand around Durga Puja - the state's biggest cultural festival - and promote tourism centred around temples and pilgrimage sites, according to the state Budget.

Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta, while presenting the Budget in the state Assembly on Monday, said the government will run a brand campaign to promote Durga Puja on a global stage.

"The initiative, titled Durga Puja - A Global Festival, An Eternal Passion of Bengal, seeks to transform the UNESCO-recognised festival into a year-round cultural tourism brand," the state's tourism minister Shankar Ghosh told UNI.

According to the government's plans, the campaign will highlight the Dur...