A pandal is fabricated structure, either temporary or permanent, in a religious ceremonies including weddings. It is derived from (Tamil: பந்தல்) (pandhal).

In Hinduism, it is a temporary structure set up to venerate the god Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi or the goddess Durga during Durga Puja, known as puja pandal.

In Sri Lanka, Vesak thorang pandals are set up during the Vesak festival, with illuminated panels illustrated with episodes from the life of the Gautama Buddha. Pandals are also set up during Gammaduwa (village rebirth) festivals, honouring the goddess Pattini.

Pandal (မဏ္ဍပ် or mandat in Burmese, from Pali mandapa) also refers to platforms from which people splash water during the new year celebrations of the Thingyan festival.

A pandal can also be a ceremonial gate, built to welcome visitors.

Aishwarya Rai, known also as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after her marriage (Tulu pronunciation [əjɕʋərjaː rəj]; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994. Rai has featured in films in various languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali.

Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world", Rai made her acting debut with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar (1997), and had her first commercial success in Jeans (1998). She found success in Bollywood with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002) and eventually won two Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category.

After a series of unsuccessful films during 2003–2005, she appeared in the blockbuster action thriller Dhoom 2 (2006) and subsequently featured in such films as Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010). She gained critical acclaim for her performances in offbeat, independent films such as Chokher Bali (2003), Raincoat (2004), and Provoked (2007). Rai has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses of Indian cinema.