adAt least two Ganesh Chaturthi pandals that recreated the site of the June 12 Air India crash have sparked criticism online for being “disrespectful and distasteful”. In Nagpur, a pandal featured a 3D model of an aircraft jammed into the entrance gate, symbolising the Air India plane that crashed into a hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 12 crew members and 229 of the 230 passengers on board.
Meanwhile, a pandal in Ahmedabad recreated the crash site in striking detail, including burnt buildings and rescue workers who had reached the scene within minutes of the tragedy. A video of this pandal has already crossed 9 million views on Instagram, while clips of the Nagpur pandal have also gone viral.
Who has criticised the pandals?
Aviation analyst Vinamra Longani condemned the theme as “beyond distasteful”.
“A Ganpati pandal themed around the @airindia crash is not creative. It’s deeply disrespectful to the victims, their families, and the entire aviation community,” Longani wrote on X.
How do organisers defend the theme?
Organisers of the Nagpur pandal in Jaripatka defended their choice, saying it was intended to be symbolic rather than shocking.
“We wanted to honour those who lost their lives and also remind people that even in disaster, faith shows the way forward,” a mandal member told Times of India. “The contrast of the wreckage outside and Bappa's calm inside represents strength and continuity.”
What do social media users say?
Many social media users slammed the pandals for exploiting one of India’s worst aviation tragedies.
“A matter of utter shame. Authorities in Nagpur should take a strict action against this,” wrote one X user. “Anything can be used for content nowadays it seems... disgusting,” another commented.
“Have we really become this insensitive that we cannot discern devotion from tragedy?” questioned a user.
“This is not any kind of theme! Many families lost their loved ones in this tragic incident, it may hurt them,” another wrote on Instagram.
