Upset Hindus are urging Gladwyne (Pennsylvania) headquartered yoga mats company “Spiritual Revolution” for immediate withdrawal of yoga mats carrying images of Hindu deities Ganesha, Durga and Hanuman; calling it highly inappropriate.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Lord Ganesha, goddess Durga and Lord Hanuman were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to sit on or put feet/buttocks/legs on or sweat on. 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 “Spiritual Revolution” and its CEO to offer a formal apology.
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: Remover of Obstacles”, “Durga: The Great Protectress” and “Hanuman: Devotion In Action” yoga mats are priced at $85.00 each. “Spiritual Revolution”, which sells “yoga mats for all ages”, claims that their “yoga mats are the greatest tool to aid you in your journey to optimal health, happiness, success, and peace” and adds that “Each mat is designed to raise your vibrational frequency”. It states on its website: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a Spiritual Revolution yoga mat and that’s basically the same thing”. “Revolutionaries” listed include Amie Barsky, Angela Knight Benoit, Lindsay Westcott, Kiley Holliday, Vanessa Van Noy, Erica Bleznak, Heather Grutzmacher, Allie Starfox and Oceanic Society.
There are about three million Hindus in USA.
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these American people have no sense, no knowledge of hindu religion and philosophy.
need to be told .
bnbhanot
Hindus the world over revere Hindu Gods and deities like Shri Ganesha, Durga, Kali and Hanuman and others. It is considered a sin to handle any of their manifestations on paper or card board or textiles in non traditional manner like making mats to be treaded upon as has been reported being done in your comapny [produts.
You are kindly requested to withdraw such products to respect the sentiments of the Hindu community of a billion people.
Sincerely
Prof Mohan K Muju
This phony yoga stuff should have been stopped decades ago. When are the Hindus going to wake-up? Real Yoga is all about Hindu Dharma, taught by Hindus and not for a fee.
Swami Paramatma
http://www.classicalyoga.org