Fresh visuals of the INR 450 crores Varanasi International Cricket Stadium have gone viral, sparking a wave of criticism online over its heavy religious symbolism and “misplaced priorities” of the Narendra Modi government.
The stadium, being built in Ganjari on the outskirts of Varanasi, is designed around imagery associated with Hindu Lord Shiva. Its floodlights are shaped like tridents, the media centre takes the form of a damru, and the facade uses metallic sheets styled after bilva-patra leaves offered in Shiva worship.
The seating is designed to resemble the stepped ghats along the Ganges, drawing inspiration from the nearby Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Owned by the Indian cricket board, the 30,000-seat venue is expected to be completed later this year and could host IPL matches once finished. It will become the third international cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh, alongside venues in Kanpur and Lucknow.
While some social media users have praised the design as a striking blend of faith and sport, the latest wave of visuals has also drawn sharp backlash.
Many questioned why religious symbolism was being folded into public sporting infrastructure at all.
“Religion in everything. No wonder we are going backwards,” one user wrote. Another questioned the contradiction in public discourse around religion and sport, asking, “I thought y’all said keep religion out of sports.”
Several comments called for a clear separation between faith and athletics. “Religion and sports mixing should be stopped,” one user said, while another simply called it an “absolute sh*t show”.
Some responses expressed disbelief at the design choices altogether. “Please tell me it’s sarcasm,” one comment read, while another dismissed it as “stupidity at its peak”.
Criticism also extended to the use of public money for the project. “How a political party uses public tax funds to promote its own interests,” one user wrote. Another commented, “What a joke India turned into.”
A number of users tied the criticism back to broader concerns about public spending priorities. “We want clean roads and schools, Modi ji,” read one comment.
