Madhu Patel
CHICAGO: Indian Americans hugely upset pointedly asked Minneapolis headquartered “luxury” yoga mat firm “Big Raven Yoga” for immediate withdrawal of yoga mat carrying images of Lord Ganesha; calling it highly disgusting.
Ganesha is greatly revered in Hinduism meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to lie/sit/stand/tread/walk on or put one’s body parts upon. Any Inappropriate usage of sacred deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda gristly hurt the devotees.
The campaign is led by Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and he also urged “Big Raven Yoga” and its CEO Joleen Emery to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing the objectionable Lord Ganesha yoga mat.
Yoga mat companies should not be deeply trivializing of immensely venerated Lord Ganesha to be such displayed on a yoga mat. 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 misrepresented.
Objectionable “Mountain Ganesha” mat was priced at $137. Big Raven Yoga describes its mats as “Yoga Mats for the Bold”, “perfect blend of art and engineering”, and “yoga towel and mat all in one”. Besides yoga mats; it also sells jewelry, stickers, cards. “Big Raven was born out of frustration”, its website states.
