Upset Hindus are urging Birmingham Museum of Art (Birmingham, Alabama) to immediately withdraw from its shop and online the String Doll featuring Hindu deity Lord Ganesh, calling it highly inappropriate.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) Director Dr. Graham C. Boettcher to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing Ganesh String Doll from Museum Shop and website. He also urged Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and Birmingham City Council President Wardine Towers Alexander to look into this issue.
BMA, “one of the finest regional museums in the United States” and owned by City of Birmingham, should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege and belittling sacred Hindu deities. It was deeply trivializing of immensely venerated Hindu deity to be treated like this; Rajan Zed indicated.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 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; Zed noted.
Moreover, it was saddening for the devotees to see Lord Ganesh reduced as a doll under the mercy and control of the owner, while in reality the believers put the destinies of themselves in the hands of their deities; Rajan Zed pointed out.
Zed further said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and 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 were painful for the followers.
Rajan Zed was of the view that insensitive handling of faith traditions sometimes resulted in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols.
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
Ganesh String Doll was priced at BMA Shop online at $11.
Founded 1951, 180,000 gross square feet BMA, “houses a diverse collection of more than 27,000 paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and decorative arts dating from ancient to modern times”. Dr. Anne Forschler-Tarrasch is the Chief Curator.
Readers like you, make ESHADOOT work possible. We need your support to deliver quality and positive news about India and Indian diaspora - and to keep it open for everyone. Your support is essential to continue our efforts. Every contribution, however big or small, is so valuable for our future.
if you go to India , you will find Shri Ganesh Ji murthies are sold in various forms and shapes. I feel Rajanji need to see India and then make his comments or oppose British organisations. They must have bought this Murthi from a Hindu source.
This is sad and unfortunate to see what is happening to Sanatam Dharma. Unfortunately the Hindus are divided on cast basis advantage taken by other’s. Before it too late All learned Brahmans and yogis should come forward to remove the cast culture and raise one wise we are Hindus.
You all may have observed and seen some of the puja items boxes display the different hindu God pictures. Later what happens to the empty boxes with God’s images are seen on the roadside. Hindus have to wake-up before it’s too late.
See what is happening in Indian politics. Hindus are not united pulling down the elected democratically Prime Minister.
Finally God save Bharat.