Kolkata Pujo Pandal Goes Viral for The Longest Ullulu-Ullus, Instamart’s InstaUllympics Turns Tradition into a Shopping Spree

Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPJwuVFky5n/

 Kolkata’s Singhi Pandal is turning heads this Durga Pujo, but not just for its decorations. The pandal has become the epicentre of a quirky new tradition: InstaUllulympics, where participants compete to deliver the longest “ullu-ullu” cheers. And here’s the twist—these chants aren’t just for fun; they unlock Pujo essentials from Instamart.

This weekend, hundreds of people gathered to take part in Instamart’s InstaUllulympics at Singhi Pandal, competing with traditional “ullu-ullu” chants to unlock festive offerings.  With five exciting levels—from sweets and beauty products to sarees, and all the way up to premium brass and silver items—participants climbed higher the longer they chanted. Those who out-ulu the crowd took home the top products they unlocked, turning Pujo tradition into a lively, interactive shopping experience.

What started as a playful nod to the age-old “ullu-ullu” ritual has gone viral on social media, with users sharing breathless videos of contestants across Instagram, X, and reels. From festive sarees and alta to beauty must-haves, the longer the chant, the more items participants unlock, turning tradition into a fun, gamified shopping spree.

Speaking about the initiative, Mayur Hola, Head of Brand Marketing at Swiggy said “InstaUllulympics is our way of combining tradition with technology. Durga Pujo is all about community, joy, and celebration and ‘ullu-ullu’ is a fantastic new way for Instamart to join this cheer.  It was so much fun to see hundreds of people come together at the pandal, competing, laughing, and enjoying the challenge. So we thought, why not make this accessible to users across India. With this app feature, we’re bringing the excitement of pandals to homes across India, making Pujo shopping quick, fun, and memorable.”

 This year, Instamart has localised its assortment for Durga Pujo, offering everything from Dhunuchi and Sankha Pola Noya sets to traditional Bengali sarees, with the surprise delighter being VIP pandal passes. Taking convenience to the next level, Instamart users can now score VIP pandal passes directly through the app. Whether it’s early access to the most popular pandals, exclusive seating, or special Pujo experiences, Instamart ensures festival-goers enjoy priority entry and seamless access, making every moment of Durga Pujo stress-free and ultra-delightful. Interestingly, during last year’s Pujo, Kolkata shoppers ordered the most Indian sweets and cooking essentials, followed by festive needs such as alta, pooja thalis, and chunri, and then accessories, including bangles and bindis.

This installation is part of Instamart’s larger festive season focus, with the platform expanding its range of festive essentials from Holi to Janmashtami and now Durga Pujo. Janmashtami saw demand surge for basuris, laddoo gopal idols, and poshaks, with near sellouts of white makkhan, panchamrit, and makhan mishri, while Raksha Bandhan recorded a 3.5× jump in orders, peaking at 1 lakh rakhis an hour. Building on this momentum, Instamart is widening its festive selection across Navratri, Karwa Chauth, Dhanteras, and Diwali—from flowers to fasting essentials, festive thalis, gold and silver coins, décor, sweets, electronics, and hyperlocal mithai.