Pembrokeshire gift shop removes socks with image of Hindu deity after protest

“Hop Hare Bamboo Socks – Ganesha”, which were earlier selling at £7.95, were absent from “Wisdom Wares” website when searched today. “No results found for “Ganesha”, it pointed out. 

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanked “Wisdom Wares” for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which felt that such a product was insensitive. He added that he was still waiting for the formal apology from “Wisdom Wares”, however.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, 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 legs/feet/ankles/calves or absorb sweat. Inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. 

Rajan Zed said: “Online retailers should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege, and ridiculing entire communities. It was deeply trivializing of the immensely venerated Lord Ganesha to be treated like this.

“Hinduism is 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.

“Hindus are for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurts the [religion’s] followers. 

“Wisdom Wares”, whose tagline is “Gifts from around the world, Handmade with love.”, had mentioned that “Our socks refer to mysticism, beliefs, traditions and experiences.”  

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

A spokesperson for Wisdom Wares said: “Yes, it is true that we removed one item in the Hop Hare Bamboo Socks range that depicted the Lord Ganesha, as we were approached during the weekend in this regard.

“We respect all valid objections to our products on sale and apologise to the Hindu community if the listing of this item caused any offence.”