SANTA MONICA, CA: Greatly upset at disparaging display of Hindu deities, members of the Indian community have strongly pitched and urged the Santa Monica (California) headquartered Leaf Group Limited to immediately withdraw some of the products sold on its marketplace Society6 that mock-distort-disrespect various Hindu deities.
Dubbing this as highly inappropriate and disgusting and disrespectful Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism and Madhu Patel, President of NRI Press Club, have urged the Board Chairman James R. Quandt and Chief Executive Officer Sean Moriarty to offer a formal apology.
Rajan Zed said that depicted Hindu deities-Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Krishna, Durga, Lakshmi, Kali, Saraswati, Parvati, Radha, Manasa Devi-are highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be mocked at or to put your feet on or touch with your feet or sleep on. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the faithful.
Zed pointed out that products like Kali as “Mistress of Chaos”, Shiva as cartoon character Popeye, Lakshmi like a belly-dancer, Kali as “Collie Kali” with dog-face and dog-feet, “Funky Female Shiva”, “Pink Krishna”, “mutant Ganesh”, Shiva with a nose-ring, Krishna as skateboarder, “Ganesh Loves Selfies – Two at a Time!” showing Ganesha taking selfies with two cell-phones, “Durga Carrying Tiger” instead of traditional riding on the tiger, Ganesha holding cowboy lasso, cartoonish Lakshmi, Ganesha in cropped trousers, etc.; highly trivialized the greatly revered Hindu deities. There was a print of Hindu Sloth also.
Other products, deemed disrespectful by Hindu devotees, included: yoga mats, bed sheets, rugs and duvet cover depicting Hindu deities Shiva, Balaji Vishnu, Ganesha, Krishna, Durga, Saraswati, Parvati, Radha and Manasa Devi; Rajan Zed stated.
Leaf Group Limited, listed in New York Stock exchange, claims to be “a diversified Internet company that builds platforms across its media (eHow and livestrong.com) and marketplace (Society6 and Saatchi Art) properties to enable communities of creators to reach passionate audiences in large and growing lifestyle categories”.
Society6, which claims millions of “products from Wall Art and Apparel to Tech Accessories and Home Décor” designed by “artists from around the world”, was founded in 2009.
Harjit Banga
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