Unusual Durga To Missing State Imagery: Why Recent Official Visuals Came Under Criticism In WB

Recently, two instances of official visual communication in West Bengal have drawn online criticism, one over an advertisement depicting Goddess Durga with 11 arms instead of 10 and another over a tourism campaign featuring global landmarks while showing little of Bengal.

Both came amid preparations for Durga Puja, the state's biggest festival, bringing renewed attention to how Bengal's cultural and tourism identity is being represented.

What Happened With The Durga Advertisement?

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday apologised for a newspaper advertisement issued by his government showing Goddess Durga with 11 arms.

The advertisement called for a coordination meeting on the upcoming Durga Puja, the first after the change of guard in Bengal. At the meeting at Milan Mela grounds in Kolkata, however, the backdrop showed Goddess Durga with 10 arms.

Adhikari said the advertisement was erroneous, those responsible had been given a stern warning and the government would be more careful in future.

The depiction drew criticism from the Trinamool Congress, with the party saying the “repeated mishandling of Bengal’s cultural traditions is deeply insulting”. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said religious scriptures depict Durga with 10 arms and appealed to the Chief Minister to correct the error. Rebel TMC MLA Madan Mitra also said the depiction was unacceptable.

State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya attributed the mistake to the agency responsible for printing the advertisement. He said it could not be made a political issue and would be rectified.

Why It Become A Political Issue?

The controversy came just ahead of Durga Puja, when preparations for the festival were already under way. In an X post, TMC said Durga Puja was “an emotion” and “the very heartbeat of Bengal”, with Maa's homecoming being sacred to millions of Bengalis.

The dispute, therefore, was not only about an erroneous image but also about the representation of a central figure in Bengal's cultural traditions.

Very Little Bengal In The Tourism Advertisement

A separate controversy followed the launch of West Bengal's new tourism branding. The new logo and brand identity, carrying the catchline “West Bengal: Where India feels different”, were unveiled by Adhikari. He also announced a ₹500 crore push to develop tourism infrastructure.

The advertisement, however, featured the Eiffel Tower, Russia's Saint Basil's Cathedral, the pyramids and Rio's Christ the Redeemer.

The Howrah Bridge made a brief appearance, while familiar Bengal landmarks such as the Victoria Memorial, the terracotta temples of Bishnupur and the Darjeeling toy train were absent.

This prompted online criticism, with users asking: “Where is Bengal?”

Why Was The Tourism Ad Criticised?

The criticism focused on the contrast between the campaign's purpose and the imagery it used. The new tourism branding was part of the BJP government's move away from Mamata Banerjee's “Biswa Bangla” branding, which had been conceptualised to showcase Bengal's cultural heritage.

TMC MP Derek O'Brien called the communication “Trash”, while former Tripura and Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy described the video as “stupid” and “amateurish” in an X post.

Roy questioned why scenes from Moscow, Egypt and Rio were being used in a video on West Bengal and demanded that it be dropped.

What Do The Two Controversies Show?

The two disputes concern different campaigns but share a common point of criticism, the visual representation of Bengal.

In the Durga advertisement, the controversy followed an incorrect depiction of the goddess, prompting an apology, a warning and a promise of correction.

In the tourism advertisement, the criticism was that global landmarks dominated a campaign meant to promote Bengal, leaving its own familiar imagery largely absent.