Upset Hindus are urging Melbourne (Australia) based fashion label “Soulan Zee” for immediate withdrawal of bootys carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha; calling it highly inappropriate.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s buttocks and crotch. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Soulan Zee and its CEO to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing Ganesha bootys from its website and stockists.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.
Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.
Ganesha Bootys, described as “perfect outfit for festivals, parties and events” and “Sexy high waisted boooootys”, are priced at AU$40.00. Soulan Zee, an Australia fashion label which claims to have created custom pieces for American singer-actress Miley Cyrus, describes itself as “psychedelic clothing for dreamers” and believes in “living life to the fullest”. Created by designer Leyla Raif, its all garments are claimed to be “designed and handmade with love in Melbourne”. Besides online sales on its website; it has stockists in Northcote (Victoria), various online stockists in USA and United Kingdom and ships to all-over Australia, USA, United Kingdom, China, India, Sweden and New Zealand. Both Profile Pictures on its Facebook show Lord Ganesha images.
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.