A U.S.-based Hindu organization has asked for the immediate withdrawal of yogamats carrying images of Hindu deities, sold by a German firm Yogistar, calling it inappropriate.
The President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed said in a statement in Nevada on Friday that Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be trampled under one's feet while doing yoga.
He also argued that these deities were highly revered in Hinduism and inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
Pointing out Hinduism as being the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, he stressed that symbols of any faith, big or small, should not be mishandled.
Further, the statement mentioned that Hindu devotees would find those Yogamats with images of Hindu deities Shiva, Lakshmi and Ganesha inappropriate, and they are classified as "Yogamatte Götter-Edition" with each carrying a price-tag of 24.90 Euros (about 1623 Indian Rupees).
Based in Wiggensbach, Germany, with contact information given in Wendelins (Germany) and a branch in Switzerland, Yogistar's Managing Directors are listed as Matthias Beck, Uwe Haardt.
Yogistar Vertriebs with tagline "designed fur yoga," which sells online at "yogistar.com," also carries yoga-related tops, pants, shirts, leggings, jerseys, CDs/DVDs/Videos, blocks, belts, bottles, bags, stools, T-shirts, books, besides malas, meditation shockers, meditation timers, netis, teas, ayurvedic kajals, meditation cushions, etc., said the statement.
