Wisdom Wares, an online gift shop in Wales, removed Lord Ganesha-themed socks from their site following complaints from the Hindu community, terming the product as insensitive and inappropriate.
World Desk – The Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales-based online gift shop, Wisdom Wares, has withdrawn socks featuring images of the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha, following objections from the Hindu community who labeled the product as "highly inappropriate."
The product, named "Hop Hare Bamboo Socks – Ganesha," previously priced at £7.95, has been removed from the Wisdom Wares website.
Prominent Hindu statesman Rajan Zed led the protests.
In a statement released in Nevada, USA, Zed expressed gratitude towards Wisdom Wares for respecting the Hindu community’s concerns.
However, he also stated that they were awaiting a formal apology from the company.
Zed, the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that Lord Ganesha is greatly venerated in Hinduism.
The deity is meant for worship in temples or home shrines, not for decorating one’s feet or absorbing sweat.
He underscored that the inappropriate use of Hindu deities or symbols for commercial purposes is not acceptable, as it offends the devotees.
Zed highlighted the importance of not trivializing faith symbols, regardless of their belonging to major or minor faiths.
He further stated that while Hindus advocate for free artistic expression and speech, attempts to trivialize faith can hurt its followers.
The gift shop, Wisdom Wares, previously explained that their socks refer to "mysticism, beliefs, traditions, and experiences."
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is revered as the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, invoked at the start of any significant endeavor.
