Published 21:10 IST, October 19th 2020
Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal depicts goddess as doctor killing Coronavirus 'the demon'
Showing Mahishasura as the novel coronavirus, Durga has been depicted as medical professional fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Durga puja pandal, Kolkata.
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Days after migrant mother as an avatar of goddess Durga caused a stir on social media, another artist has now made a different equally engrossing version at a Durga Puja pandal. Showing Mahishasura as the novel coronavirus, Durga has been depicted as a medical professional fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. From netizens agreeing that now is the dire need for some spiritual guidance amid the global health crisis to saying that there is no other way to honour the ‘Corona warriors’ Hundreds of internet users posted the images across social media platforms.
Even though Durga Puja in 2020 has been limited due to COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to tone down the celebrations, artists have now lowered their enthusiasm. Instead, they seem to have taken this as an opportunity to decorate unique pandals incorporating the crisis as its theme. In the latest version that has taken the internet by storm, Durga along with her entourage of deities including Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh are also shown as other essential workers who tackled the pandemic on the forefront, depicting that they were no less than any divine figure.
What is being called as “perfectly crafted” pandal is Durga wearing a doctor’s coat who kills the demon Mahishasur, depicted as novel coronavirus, with an injection that appears to be a vaccine for COVID-19. Meanwhile, Ganesh and Karthik are shown as police officers and a sanitation worker respectively. Lakshmi and Saraswati are depicted as a nurse and a medical professional each. See pictures:
What a beautiful way to show respect to Corona Warriors- Doctors,nurses, policemen,cleaners and ambulance workers. Mahishasur is Corona virus! How creative ❤️
— Dr sarika verma (@Drsarika005) October 19, 2020
Hope Ma Durga helps us overcome this pandemic and everyone remains safe and healthy 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/74EaT9Wuat
'Excellent' way to pay respect
Several internet users either reported the images or agreed that it is an “excellent” way to pay respect to the frontline warriors of the COVID-19 pandemic who tirelessly working round the clock to control the spread of the disease. While doctors were occupied attending the patients and the nation was under lockdown, the essential workers such as law enforcement officials never got a single day at home. Since the novel coronavirus outbreak began in China in December 2019, many stories emerged from across the globe that revealed the sacrifice that essential workers made amid the pandemic.
Perfectly crafted Goddess Durga idol from Kolkata. The world needs this spiritual power of Goddess Durga to kill novel coronavirus. Hats off to the sculptor🙌🙏#DurgaPuja2020 pic.twitter.com/idSCJFfnhW
— Saurabh Muley (@saurabhmuley93) October 19, 2020
Beautiful.. Where is being done
— Khelan Thakrar (@Thakrarkhelan) October 19, 2020
Excellent
— Dr.Bharat Singh (@DrBhaaratSingh) October 19, 2020
Let’s Pray to Her
Respected mam 🇮🇳🙏 it is simply superb👏💯,we show our gratitude and 💓 hearty thanks to all Doctors and frontline worriers in our style 💝our culture is think whoever is helping in critical becomes ☮️ God ,now and ever is only Great Doctors 🙏🌻 and nurse
— Uma Selvaraja (@USelvaraja) October 19, 2020
Meanwhile, Durga Puja pandal of Kolkata's Barisha Club gained the attraction of netizens after they replaced the traditional idol of the goddess with that of a migrant woman along with her children. The club installed the idol to depict the hardships faced by the migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown and to pay a tribute to them. Watch:
#WATCH WB: Barisha Club in Behala, Kolkata replaces traditional Durga idol with that of a migrant woman with her children.
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2020
Artist Rintu Das says, "Idea came when I saw plight of migrant workers. Woman walking with 4 children, without aid, is something I consider worth deifying" pic.twitter.com/hSyyIlwPYT
21:10 IST, October 19th 2020