THE GOAN
PANAJI
From a Halloween promotion featuring a nun in Anjuna to a Christmas event advertised around Kamasutra and the alleged display of Lord Shiva's image at Sunburn, Goa has seen several event-related promotions and displays spark religious controversies. While a recent promotion by a Club in Anjuna for its October 30 to November 1 Halloween celebrations drew objections for featuring a nun wearing a cross alongside captions such as ‘dark magic’ and ‘wicked energy’, earlier incidents had also drawn criticism from religious groups and residents. The Christmas event, titled ‘Tales of Kamasutra and Christmas Celebrations’, scheduled for December 25–28, 2025, was eventually directed to be cancelled by the police following complaints. Similarly, the alleged display of Lord Shiva's image on LED screens at the 2023 Sunburn EDM Festival in Vagator prompted objections from some sections of the society.
Creative boundaries
The latest controversy has once again raised questions about where creative expression ends, and religious insensitivity begins. The Halloween promotion drew objections from sections of the Catholic community, with residents questioning the use of a religious figure and symbols to advertise an entertainment event. While social media reactions have been divided, some defended the creative concept, with others pointing to the horror film series ‘The Nun’ as a possible inspiration behind the artwork. Following complaints, the matter reached the Anjuna Police Station, with a complaint seeking action against those allegedly involved in creating and circulating the advertisement. The club subsequently removed the post and issued an apology, stating that it had no intention of hurting any religious or cultural community.
Organisers' views
Against this backdrop, we speak to event organisers hosting Halloween celebrations across Goa to understand their views on the use of religious imagery in event promotions. An event organiser from Anjuna, who is also preparing to host a Halloween special, says she personally avoids using religious imagery in promotional material. “I personally never use any religious imagery or anything connected to religion on posters because they tend to come under people's feet and so on. Thus, I avoid that,” she shares. However, she believes the intention behind the recent promotion may not have been to offend anyone. Having designed promotional artwork herself, she says she understands the designer's perspective. “Since even I design posters, I understand the designer's intention. While they may have crossed a line with the wording, I do not think it was done to hurt religious sentiments.”
Residents' objections
While organisers may view such artwork as part of a creative concept, residents argue that certain symbols carry a significance that cannot be overlooked. Trisha Dias, a local from Anjuna, says the club's apology was necessary but does not take away from the concerns raised. “They apologised because they made a mistake. Just because we do not say much does not mean that anyone can come and say anything to us. They cannot just cross the line,” she remarks. Pointing out that there were several other ways to promote a Halloween celebration, she adds, “There are so many ways they could have gone about it, yet they chose this. Well, they need to find something else to put up for Halloween.”
Creative perspective
On the other hand, some in the event industry believe that promotional artwork should also be viewed in the context of the event it advertises. An event organiser from Nerul feels people should consider the creative concept rather than immediately interpret it as an attempt to disrespect a religion. “No one is looking to come and bad-mouth religion. There is an entire movie series on this with similar artwork released worldwide and in the western countries,” he remarks. However, he acknowledges that organisers need to exercise caution when dealing with religiously sensitive imagery. The Anjuna-based event organiser also points out that Halloween has its own cultural associations with costumes, horror and the supernatural. “In the West, Halloween is a concept where they used to chase evil away. They also dress like that there,” she notes.
Respecting sensitivities
As Goa's nightlife continues to attract different audiences and organisers look for newer ways to promote their events, such controversies highlight the importance of understanding the sensitivities of the place in which they operate. While creative expression is an important part of event promotion, it also comes with the responsibility of being mindful of the communities being represented. After all, attracting an audience should not come at the cost of offending one.
