Goa exhibition withdrawn due to controversial paintings

PANAJI - A Christian research institute was Tuesday forced to withdraw a painting exhibition after protests from Hindu right wing group activists against three paintings which showed Hindu deity Krishna and Shiva in bad light.

The paintings were sketched by artist Jose Pereira, who is of Goan origin.

“We had received a complaint from the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) against the Xavier Centre for Historical Research (XCHR) saying that the paintings exhibited there, showed Hindu gods in bad light,” police Inspector Devendra Gad told reporters Tuesday.

“We went to the exhibition hall immediately after receiving the complaint. The organizers told us that they have already withdrawn the paintings as they didn’t want any communal discord in the state,” Gad said.

“As a penance for his sin, he (Siva) was condemned to wander the earth as a naked beggar. In the course of his wanderings, he enters a rishi’s hermitage and attracts the lewd attention of the rishi’s wives… Excited by his handsome nudity, the rishi’s wives display themselves in lewd postures to attract his notice,” read a description of one of the controversial paintings titled: Siva, seductive beggar.

HJS earlier launched a campaign against another artist based in Goa who, according to the right wing group, depicted Hindu deity Ganesh in bad light.