Here we use it for some purposes and cooking too, but only few people. Pumpkin is compulsory when a new house was opening or doing worship and even for dussera festival.
I don't have a taste and never eated it in my life as my mom won't cook it.
I tried once on a time to grow pumpkins, but the plant was died due to rat bitten. It's not hard to grow pumpkins here as most of the time we see on open area of lands.
In parts of the west, Halloween is associated with pumpkins - so that drives the demand. However, as far as food is concerned, it's not a popular item I think. Anyway, of course, pumpkin related food would be popular around Halloween.
