In what seems to be an outrageous attempt to hurt Hindu sentiments by defaming Hindu Gods, a Kolkata youth organisation named Nabapally Association has set up controversial pandals and has depicted the Hindu Goddess Kali or Durga as ‘Mother Mary’ holding Lord Shiva akin to Mary holding Baby Jesus.

This incident has taken place when the Nabapally youth association decided to set up pandals at Barasat’s Colony in Kolkatta on the occasion of Durga Puja. The organisers had set up the Durga pandal with a theme that represented the 2018 Fifa World Cup held in Russia. The organisers had designed the pandal in such a way that it looked like the replica of Russia’s St Basil’s Cathedral of Moscow, Russia.

Inside the ‘Cathedral’, the Nabapally Youth Association has installed the statue of Goddess Durga which has been “converted” to look like Mother Mary. The most bizarre part of the statue is the sheer contempt displayed towards Hindu Gods, where they have depicted Maa Durga holding Lord Shiva just like Mother Mary holding Jesus Christ.

It is still not understood how organisers decided to convert a football-themed Durga Pandal to give it a communal angle by using Christian symbols to depict Hindu Gods. It seems that organisers have chosen certain symbols of a particular religion to promote one faith but one may argue it ends up showing contempt towards Hindu gods.

At a time, when the entire country unites to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali, this attempt to insult Hindu Gods is not only shameful but also condemnable as it could lead to religious disturbance in already volatile West Bengal.