Photos of goddess Durga reimagined as doctor killing coronavirus goes viral on social media

Kolkata: Every year, the festival of Durga Puja brings out the best in terms of creativity and art when it comes to ideating themes for Puja pandals in West Bengal. After the migrant mother avatar of goddess Durga went viral in Kolkata, another artist's rendition of the goddess is now making a splash. This time, Durga has been depicted as a doctor fighting coronavirus.

In this rendition of the goddess, Durga and her entourage of deities including Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh are depicted as essential workers who have acted as no less than gods and goddesses to help save lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Durga is depicted as a doctor wearing a doctor's coat and fighting the demon Mahishasur. Instead of her customary trident (trishul), however, Durga has a vaccine in hand which she uses to kill Mahishashur, who is depicted as the coronavirus. Ganesh and Karthik are depicted as a police officer and a sanitation worker each while Lakshmi

Images of the pandal were shared on social media and instantly went viral. 

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared the image of innovative idols on Twitter.

"Brilliantly appropriate #covid19-themed Durga Puja creativity from Kolkata, with the goddess slaying the virus! Salutations to the unknown designer & sculptor #DurgaPuja2020", Tharoor tweeted.

The idols are being lauded as a tribute to essential workers who have been essential in saving lives and limiting the spread of the virus despite personal risk.

• durga idol
• sashi tharoor
• doctor
• COVID-19
• Kolkata