After facing a backlash from Hindus in the United States, Carlsbad, California, based online retailer Scarlet's Lounge has pulled down the leggings that had images of Hindu deities Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha, Krishna, and Kali on them. The Hindus in the US had called the product "highly inappropriate."
Rajan Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, had explained in a press statement that these Gods "were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one's legs, crotch and hips."
The online retailer removed these leggings within 12-hours of the backlash and Zed thanked the brand for being sensitive enough to understand the concerns and promptly removing the product from their website.
Zed had earlier explained that symbols of faith, no matter how big or small shouldn't be taken lightly. He said that while Hindus often supported free artistic expression and speech, faith was something sacred.
He also believed that the online retailer must issue a formal apology for offending people's sentiments, but hinted that the community is yet to receive the said apology.
Zed also suggested that corporations send their executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they are more in tune with the sentiments of the community when launching new products or advertising campaigns.
Scarlet's Lounge has put the leggings – priced at $58 each – on sale on the site. The retailer described these leggings thus: "These leggings are great for day or evening wear. They are stretchy and comfortable and super easy to care for. Wear them to hot yoga or a casual night on the town. Each print is done one at a time in a USA facility to your specific order. This is a unique water based dye process where the image becomes a permanent part of the garment. We guarantee it will never peel, crack or flake like a regular print. Fits true to size. Very stretchy fabric and fits on multiple body types."
The online retailer has a variety of other products for sale such as dresses, tops, hoodies and pants as well as accessories like bracelets and rings.
