As the city geared up for Durga Puja, Kolkata’s most awaited festival, one of the most talked-about attractions this year was not just the grandeur of pandals or the scale of celebrations, but a divine creation that blended artistry with fragrance. Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH), makers of India’s leading incense brand Zed Black, unveiled an 8-foot-tall Goddess Durga idol crafted entirely from incense ingredients at the iconic Maddox Square Park Puja.
The installation was unlike anything witnessed before in Kolkata’s long history of Durga Puja artistry. Weighing a remarkable 25 kilograms of pure agarbatti ingredients, the idol was meticulously sculpted to embody both devotion and sustainability. Adding to the spectacle, the backdrop incorporated over 8 kilograms of incense sticks, further enhancing the sensory experience.
To complete the installation, Zed Black erected five towering agarbattis, each standing 8 feet tall with a 2.5-foot base, made from 15 kilograms of black incense. As they diffused their aroma into the air, the atmosphere of Maddox Square transformed into a sanctuary of spirituality, art, and fragrance.
“This wasn’t just an idol; it was a tribute where art, aroma, and artisanship converged,” said Ankit Agrawal, Director, Zed Black. “Durga Puja is a celebration of faith and community spirit, and by crafting an idol entirely from agarbatti, we wanted to honor the goddess with an offering that embodies both tradition and innovation.”
 Anshul Agrawal, Director, Mysore Deep Perfumery House, Zed Black Agarbatti, further added, “"The festive season in India has always been about togetherness, spirituality and celebration, and in recent years we are witnessing a sharp rise in both enthusiasm and consumer spending. What’s encouraging is the growing preference for premium, eco-conscious and innovative products. Our recently introduced Zed Black Pavitra Dhoona range, inspired by age-old traditional rituals of burning sambrani, has been received very well by consumers looking for authentic and soulful festive experiences. This Durga Puja, our unique tie-up at the popular Kolkata pandal Maddox Square featuring an 8-foot idol, made entirely from incense ingredients, reflects our belief that rituals can be celebrated in newer and more meaningful ways".
Tradition With Innovation
Durga Puja has always been a festival where craftsmanship takes center stage, with pandals experimenting in themes ranging from mythology to modernity. But Zed Black’s incense idol brought a unique sensory dimension — worship infused not just with sight and sound but with the fragrance of devotion itself.
Adding perspective on the campaign’s experiential significance, Ankur Kalra, Founder & Chief Experience Officer at Vibgyor, shared, “In today’s landscape, brands can’t just advertise; they need to create compelling experiences and immerse audiences. What Zed Black has done at Maddox Square is a perfect example of experiential storytelling by transforming a product associated with spirituality into a large-scale cultural expression. It shows how brands can move from being background elements of rituals to becoming active participants in the collective experience of a festival. I believe it's a brilliant campaign by MDPH and hope that other brands also get inspired and create such compelling experiences that are authentic and relatable.”
The initiative reflected a growing trend where brands are finding meaningful, culturally rooted ways to connect with audiences beyond traditional advertising. The association with Maddox Square Park, a pandal renowned for drawing massive footfalls and setting creative benchmarks, ensured that the installation became one of the city’s most visited and photographed attractions this year.
Influencers And Cultural Connect
To amplify the campaign, Zed Black collaborated with regional influencers and celebrities including actress Kaushambi Chakraborty of Mithai and Phulki fame, beauty and fashion blogger Aditi Adhikary, and popular digital voices Priya Karmakar and Nisha Poddar. Their outreach ensured that the story of the incense idol travelled beyond Kolkata, engaging audiences nationwide across digital platforms.
 Product Launch With A Cultural Soul
Coinciding with the celebrations, Zed Black introduced Pavitra Dhoona Dhoopkathi, a new offering designed specifically for Eastern India’s ritualistic and cultural practices. From dhunuchi dances to evening aartis, the product tapped into the emotional and spiritual essence of Durga Puja and Navratri traditions.
“Every product we launch carries with it not just fragrance but an element of cultural storytelling,” said Agrawal. “Pavitra Dhoona Dhoopkathi is our way of paying homage to Bengal and neighboring states where incense and ritual smoke are integral to household worship.”
Behind The Brand
Founded as Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH), Zed Black has evolved into a global name with a workforce of 4,000, 80% of whom are women and a production capacity of 3.5 crore incense sticks daily across five advanced manufacturing units in Madhya Pradesh. Its portfolio spans 1,200+ products sold in 45+ countries across six continents, with over 15 lakh packs sold daily both offline and through e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and its own online store.
The Maddox Square installation exemplified how MDPH seamlessly merges scale with soul, reinforcing its identity as a brand that is as much about cultural resonance as commercial success.
 A Sacred Synthesis
At its core, the 8-foot incense idol was more than an eye-catching installation — it served as a metaphor for modern India’s ability to innovate while staying deeply rooted in tradition. As thousands flocked to Maddox Square during the Puja, what they encountered was not just another pandal attraction, but a living symbol of faith infused with fragrance, standing tall at the crossroads of culture, spirituality and brand storytelling.
For Kolkata’s Puja enthusiasts, Zed Black’s fragrant goddess became one of the defining memories of Durga Puja 2025. |
