A video showing the Durga Puja (Pujo) pandal modelled after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad recently went viral, sparking backlash from netizens.
Not all Bongs, but Bongs always ? pic.twitter.com/pjGnf594pI
— desi mojito (@desimojito) October 3, 2025
In the video, the rear-half an inflatable aircraft can be seen lodged into what looks like a building, lit brightly in orange.
The pandal closely resembles the devastating Ahmedabad plane crash of June 12, in which an Air India flight—a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane—crashed into a medical college hospital moments after lift-off, killing 265 people (241 people onboard the flight and 24 people on the ground).
The video also shows a shiny miniature airplane moving towards the pandal from the opposite building, via a rope between the two buildings. This smaller plane slowly moves towards the pandal. The lights on the pandal flicker rapidly as the smaller plane finally touches it.
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Though the video's caption mentions that the video was taken from Chakpur village in West Bengal's Hooghly district, THE WEEK could not independently verify the video.
Calling the video "shocking", an user wrote on X that "this should be a time for reflection, not mockery, aligning our festivities with empathy and understanding".
Shocking!
Celebrate the divine and honor the departed with compassion, as their journey ended abruptly, leaving families grieving. This should be a time for reflection, not mockery, aligning our festivities with empathy and understanding.
— GynaeExpert (@GynaeExpert) October 4, 2025
"There are lots of pandals which showcase tragic moments like operation sindoor also," another X user wrote, seemingly in response to some hate comments against people from West Bengal.
Mind your language, not all Bengalis are the same. There are lots of pandals which showcase tragic moments like operation sindoor also.
— ABHIJIT GHOSH (@ghoshabhijit323) October 4, 2025
"Why create something so hurtful? Consider the pain of families who've lost loved ones—seeing this would only add to their anguish," a third X user questioned.
Why create something so hurtful? Consider the pain of families who've lost loved ones – seeing this would only add to their anguish.
— Karun Singh (@kjamwal87) October 4, 2025
Users have also added a community note below the video, mentioning that a Lord Ganesha pandal in Ahmedabad earlier this year was modelled on the same Air India crash.
The West Bengal pandal video comes after a few other Durga Puja pandals from West Bengal went viral after replacing the traditional Supreme Demon, Mahishasura, with political figures like Donald Trump, Muhammad Yunus, and Shehbaz Sharif. |
