Hindu Goddess Durga Devi denigrated during Navratri – shown drinking and smoking pot by a Christian woman photographer

Removed the pictures after protest by Hindus

• It is necessary that the Indian Government should also enact a law on the lines of Pakistan which would award death penalty to  those committing blasphemy.
• Other religious communities persistently attempt to insult Hindu Deities; however, they do not indulge in causing contempt of seats of faith in their own religion. 

(The intention underlying display of this image is not to hurt religious sentiments of Hindus, but make them comprehend the denigration)

Kochi (Kerala) – The pictures posted by a Kerala based photographer Dia John during Navratri has set off an outrage. After a massive outcry on social media and a complaint being lodged against her, John has now removed the provocative images and also issued an apology.

Photoshoot by Diya John in Kerala has insulted #Hindu Goddess & #Hinduism during #Navratri Festival. She said this photoshoot is to reflect the Freedom for Women.
Ms Diya John, why don't u try these kind of Photoshot with other Religions?#SaveHinduism@ShefVaidya @National_Hindu pic.twitter.com/otGEZXlrl6

— Prof Shrinath Rao K 🇮🇳 (@ProfSRK) October 24, 2020

Dia had pushed two posts from an intense photoshoot of a sensuous woman draped in a tomato red saree. She was showing smoking weed and consuming alcohol with abandon. With a huge red vermillion dot pasted on her forehead, holding a lotus, conch shell and a trident in her hands, the model was shown seated on a lotus, scandalously resembling a goddess. Highly derogatory words were emblazoned as the post’s caption.

The Aluva-based photographer John said that she along with team members Aathira, Jacob Anil, Zohaib Zayi and Akshay Rajnith were exploring the theme of women and freedom. Dia had told, “Everywhere, it is expected that women are obedient and that they should not be given freedom. But they want freedom. They have dreams”.

“We were trying to subvert the label of a goddess that a woman is given. Nowhere have we mentioned the name of any goddess, nor have we taken it from an anti-religious perspective”, she said, adding,”It’s about women and their freedom. It’s about humanity”.

The caption of the post read: “A woman is considered a goddess, but what is she treated like? Often made to sit on a pedestal of purity, innocence and tolerance, she is stripped of her individuality. Isn’t it time that we accept her humanity?”

Considering the striking resemblance with Hindu Goddesses and the model who was shown smoking cannabis and consuming alcohol, Kochi-based Mukkootil Bhagavathy temple on Saturday filed a complaint at Maradu police station against photographer Dia John for attempting to hurt religious sentiments.

Advocate Madhu Narayanan, the secretary of Mukkootil Bhagavathy temple, told Times Now, “I have filed a complaint with my local police station”.

As per the complaint, the photos “depict Goddess in an insulting manner and comparing with ‘wh*re’, ‘sl*t’, etc. She is also depicted as to preparing weed/Ganja to smoke and with liquor bottle beside along with Trishool (Trident), shanku (conch shell) and a lotus. There is a wish to Navaratri in the post, clearly showing that they have depicted the model as goddess Durga in the photoshoot.”

“This depiction in the name of ‘creativity’ is a deliberate attempt with malicious intent to insult the religious feelings of Hindus. It is being circulated on these days of Navaratri only to create communal divide among the people and to disturb the peace and tranquillity prevailing among them,” added the complaint.

The lawyer further claimed that three-four other people have also filed a complaint in this regard.

Following this development, Dia John has backed off and put out an Insta post issuing an apology.