Ahmedabad’s Behrampura neighborhood, usually alive with the color and joy of Ganesh Chaturthi, has become the center of a national controversy after a local Ganpati pandal chose a theme that few could have predicted—and even fewer could stomach. The pandal, unveiled in late August 2025, recreated the harrowing aftermath of the Air India plane crash that occurred on June 12, 2025, one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s aviation history. For many, what was intended as a tribute quickly crossed the line into insensitivity, sparking outrage and soul-searching across social media and beyond.
The Air India crash itself was a catastrophe that left a deep scar on the nation. According to India Today and Times Now, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft struck a medical college’s hostel, killing all 242 people on board—including 12 crew members and 229 passengers. The tragedy also claimed 19 lives on the ground and left 67 others seriously injured, while part of the medical college building was destroyed in the impact.
Against this backdrop of grief and loss, the decision by local organizers to base their Ganesh Chaturthi pandal on the crash scene was bound to provoke strong reactions. The video of the pandal, first shared by the Instagram page 'Aviation/CabinCrew’s HUB' and later by 'Superfastamdavad', showed a detailed recreation of the disaster’s aftermath. Fire crews, rescue personnel, and even depictions of bodies were arranged around the wreckage of a model aircraft, with the idol of Lord Ganesha watching over the scene. The video quickly went viral, racking up over 8.7 million views on Instagram and drawing hundreds of thousands of comments in just days, according to Zee News.
The internet’s response was swift and, for the most part, unforgiving. Social media users condemned the display as a distressing reminder of a tragedy that was still painfully fresh in the minds of many. “Unnecessarily, it will bring back the memory of that fateful flight whenever they do Aarti or Darshan. It’s not a good idea,” one user wrote, as reported by India Today. Another echoed the sentiment: “This is too much. Who converts a tragedy like a plane crash into festive decor?”
Some reactions went even further, criticizing the graphic nature of the display. As Zee News highlighted, one user was shocked by the inclusion of “dead bodies and severed heads lying around,” questioning the sanity of the organizers. Another user commented, “It’s like questioning to god how you let this happen.” For these critics, the very idea of transforming a scene of horror and loss into a centerpiece for celebration was not just poor taste—it was deeply disrespectful to the victims and their families.
Yet, not everyone was entirely dismissive of the organizers’ intentions. A handful of voices online tried to see the effort as a tribute, albeit a controversial one. “Everyone has worked very hard, respect to the effort, but seeing it, I feel sad again,” one social media user admitted, according to Zee News. Others pointed out that the pandal also attempted to honor the first responders and pay homage to those who lost their lives. “For everyone who is saying this is not a theme, just think about those victims if they see this. If they see 'Bappa saath hai' or something like that written there? For them this theme is like Bappa saath hai ghabrao mat. Bappa sabh dekhlenge. Bharosa rakho,” another commenter suggested, as reported by Times Now.
Still, the overwhelming consensus online was that the theme crossed a line. “This is not any kind of theme! Many families lost their loved ones in this tragic incident, it may hurt them,” one user pleaded. Others were more blunt: “We are celebrating happiness not sadness.. inappropriate content.” The depiction, while perhaps intended as a memorial, was seen by many as a distressing and unnecessary reminder of recent sorrow.
The controversy has opened up a broader debate about the boundaries of artistic expression, especially in the context of public religious celebrations. Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi, is a time when communities across India compete to create the most elaborate and creative pandals, often drawing on themes from mythology, current events, or social issues. But as this incident demonstrates, not every subject is fair game. The ethics of representing real-life tragedies—particularly those that are recent and traumatic—remain deeply fraught.
“That’s not good, why this mishap theme, theme should be positive,” one social media user argued, reflecting a broader discomfort with the trend of sensationalizing tragedy in the name of creativity. Others felt that a more respectful approach would have been to display photographs of the deceased and offer prayers, rather than reconstructing the disaster scene in such graphic detail. “Very insensitive towards the victims' family.. you guys could have displayed the deceased picture & offer prayers for them.. this is nothing but only for social media,” a commenter noted, as cited by Zee News.
The organizers themselves have not issued a public statement, and as of early September 2025, local authorities have refrained from commenting on the uproar. The silence from officials has only added to the sense of unease, leaving the community—and the country—grappling with questions about taste, respect, and the proper way to remember those lost in tragedy.
Meanwhile, the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which began on August 27 and runs through September 6, continues across India. In most places, the mood is one of joy and devotion, with pandals celebrating Lord Ganesha’s wisdom and benevolence. But in Behrampura, the festival has become a lightning rod for a national conversation about the limits of creativity and the responsibilities that come with commemorating collective grief.
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the wounds left by the Air India crash remain raw, and the ways in which we choose to remember such events matter deeply to those who were affected. For some, art can be a means of healing and tribute—but for others, it can reopen wounds that are far from healed.
In the end, the Behrampura pandal stands as a stark reminder that the line between remembrance and insensitivity can be thin—and that, in times of tragedy, empathy must come first.
