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Upset Hindus urge Valencia firm to withdraw Lord Ganesh crash-pad
 
Upset Hindus are urging Valencia (Spain) based online retailer esKalarTienda for immediate withdrawal of crash-pad carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh; calling it highly inappropriate.
 
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to put your feet on. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
 
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged esKalarTienda and its CEO to offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing Lord Ganesh crash-pad from its website.
 
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 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, Rajan Zed noted.
 
Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. 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 hurt the followers, Zed added.
 
Ganesh Crash Pad at esKalarTienda.com, an online retailer focused on climbing- mountaineering gear, sells for €320. 
 
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Hindus laud Denver Art Museum for showcasing Hindu god Ganesha
 
Hindus have commended renowned Denver Art Museum (DAM) in Colorado for showcasing Hindu deity Lord Ganesha in an exhibition “Ganesha: The Playful Protector” from October one to 28.
 
This exhibition, in collaboration with National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, claims to provide a spectrum of ancient to modern representations of Lord Ganesha through sculptures, paintings and textiles. It includes 600s-700s cross-legged sandstone Lord Ganesha from Cambodia, 800s-900s stone Lord Ganesha from India with three mother goddesses, 1000s-1100s six-armed dancing Lord Ganesha from India, etc.
 
“This significant pre-Angkor artwork will be on view along with sculptures, paintings, and textiles from the DAM’s own collection of ancient to modern representations of the Hindu deity”, Museum announcement states. Lord Ganesha inspired “numerous representations throughout the Asian subcontinent over time—all of which will be surveyed in the exhibition”, it adds. Museum also invites kids and families to “read aloud an illustrated story that tells how Ganesha broke his tusk”.
 
Welcoming DAM for exhibiting highly revered Hindu deity Lord Ganesha, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.
 
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.
 
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA. In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
 
Claimed to be “one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast”, DAM, founded in 1893, has about 70,000 art objects in its collections. Its Mission includes sparking “creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art”. J. Landis (Lanny) Martin is Trustees Chairman, while Dr. Christoph Heinrich is the Director.

Hindus welcome Utah University for exploring Hindu gods & goddesses
 
Hindus have welcomed Utah State University (USU); respected public research university in Logan, Utah; for teaching about Hindu gods and goddesses, calling it a step in the positive direction.
 
Commending USU for exploring Hindu gods and goddesses, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged all US and Canadian universities to offer various courses about Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought.
 
USU, in addition to goddesses and gods of Hinduism, is also offering “Hindu Sacred Texts” (including Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita) and “Introduction to Hinduism” (Hindu religious thought) during 2017-2018 Academic Year.
 
It also offers Yoga Studies Minor and Yoga Teacher Training Program, “rooted in the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” and includes study and application of “yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana”. USU Campus recreation offers yoga classes daily during weekdays.
 
Its College of Education has developed a Resource Guide for Elementary Teachers regarding Diwali, most popular Hindu festival, involving “understanding of the themes and symbols that are associated with Diwali” by grade level 4-6, where “pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses” are used as “resources”.
 
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that US and Canadian universities should realize that religion encompassed much more than what many were teaching currently.
 
Rajan Zed further said that a deeper, inclusive and broader understanding of religion was needed. US and Canadian universities should begin taking the religion seriously, start coming out of the “selective” mode and make efforts towards including “others”, Zed added.
 
Founded in 1888, female majority USU’s Mission includes “cultivating diversity of thought and culture”. Noelle E. Cocket is the President.
 
Utah houses the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.