Outraged Hindus call on Kent Sporting Goods to withdraw Lord Ganesh polo-suit and apologise. | Tech Reddy

Angry Hindus are urging Whitstable (Kent, England)-based online sporting goods store, Water Polo Shop, to immediately withdraw water polo swimsuits bearing images of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha; Calling it highly inappropriate.

Prominent Hindu statesman Rajan Z, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and not worshiped in temples or home shrines and wrapped tightly around your body as a fashion statement.

Facilitate your sweating or hold your body fluids, etc. Inappropriate use of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icon trading or other agendas was not okay because it hurt devotees.

Jade, who is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, called on WaterPoloShop to withdraw the “Ganesh – Women’s Water Polo Suit” from its website as well as issue a formal apology.

Sporting goods shops should not deal in religious paraphernalia, profanity and desecration of sacred Hindu deities. Rajan Z pointed out that it was profoundly disrespectful to blaspheme the highly revered Lord Ganesha in this way.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion in the world with about 1.2 billion followers and a rich philosophical thought and should not be taken lightly. Any symbol of faith, big or small, should not be misused, Jade points out.

Rajan also insisted that Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anyone else. But the faith was something sacred and attempts to trivialize it were painful for the followers.

Jade’s view was that sensitive handling of faith traditions sometimes led to the plundering of serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshiped as the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the start of any major undertaking.

Waterpoloshop offers top brands and claims to supply products related to water polo, swimming, diving, underwater hockey and underwater rugby to both clubs and individuals worldwide. It claims to specialize in custom designed swimwear and clothing.