Protest: Grave Denigration of Hindu Deities by ‘Sacred Source’ company

Ashadh Shuddha Dwitiya, Kaliyug Varsha 5112

An appeal to Hindus, Hindu organizations and Hindu leaders – ‘Be careful when the media approaches you !’

Appeal to devout Hindus

A Company in USA named ‘Sacred Source’ is denigrating Hindu Deities through the statues for sale on their website. Many statues of deities are posed in very offensive manner. For example, Statue of Deity Shiva is in sexual position with a naked woman. This has hurt sentiments of billions of Hindus worldwide and all Hindus should protest lawfully against ‘Sacred Source’, so that they should remove such offensive from their website and sales stock and also the company should apologise Hindus for hurting their religious sentiments.

Devout Hindus are protesting lawfully on following Contact Details: Customer Service Phone: +1 800-290-6203 Voice: +1 434-823-1515 Fax: +1 434-823-7665 Postal: Sacred Source P.O. Box 163WW Crozet, VA 22932 Delivery: Sacred Source 1394B Blair Park Crozet, VA 22932 Email: [email protected]

Example of ‘How things happen in media against Hinduism?’

Here is one article about Protest by Hindus against ‘Sacred Source’ :

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/hindu_groups_criticize_crozet_statue_maker/57964/

Here is the clarification by Mr Krishna Prasad of American Hindu Association

From: KVS Krishna Prasad
Date: Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: Denigration of Hindu Deities through the statues on your site
To: [email protected], Bhavna Shinde

All,

I’m sad to know the denigration of hindu deities through statues. It is unfortunate this reporter referred my name in the article. He asked my opinion on selling reproduced statues made of wood and i told him that in india Lepakshi stores sell indian deities statues made of sandal wood.

Reporter did not give me true picture on the subject he wanted and fabricated my statement in negative, this i strongly condemn. He or no one has right to denigrate Hindu culture.

Thanks
Krishna

Protest letter written by Bhavna Shinde, FHA

From: Bhavna Shinde
Date: Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 8:24 AM
Subject: Re: Denigration of Hindu Deities through the statues on your site
To: [email protected]

||Sree||
 
Namaste.
 
We have not received any response to our below email regarding removing from sale some of your statues that denigrate our Deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh and Lakshmi. However, we have noted your comment in subsequent news that the statues in question are hardly offensive, and are based on temple images in India, and are made by Hindus for Hindus’ devotional worship.

Please can you tell us which temple in India shows our revered Deity Shiva in this kind of a sexual position with a nude woman: http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-Shakti-statue-8/productinfo/SS or our revered Deity Sree Ganesh in this type of a position with a nude woman: http://www.sacredsource.com/Siddhi-Ganesh-plaque-65/productinfo/GWP
 
For your information, hardly any out of the thousands of Hindu temples around India and the world, depict any nudity or sexuality, and that too, is limited to the outer parts of the temple, and never depict any of the Deities of Hinduism in such positions. Please read this:
https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/denigrations/articles/the-facts-of-khajuraho.html
 
Also, you have mentioned that you have been selling the statues for several years and have never gotten any pressure from Hindus. Please note that the denigrating statues were reported to our organization by concerned Hindus. Just because it was not known to a wider audience so far, does not mean that the statues are not offensive. Even the American Hindu Association’s Krishna Karimikonda, whose comment has been published in the above news report, was offended (and said he was quoted out of context by the news reporter) when we contacted him and informed him about these statues of our Deities in sexual positions. So would be the case with every practicing Hindu – should he come to know about this, he would be offended at this blatant denigration.
 
As regards to your artisans being Hindu, can you validate your claim? In India, there are people of various faiths. So, what makes you say that the statues are made by Hindus for Hindus, when your About Us section itself clearly says, “While exploring how to establish the business so it might support Mother Teresa’s uplift work”?!
 
And as mentioned on your website, how do such sexual statues ‘nurture each individual’s inner growth nurture each individual’s inner growth ‘, when we cannot even keep them on the family or public worship altar, for devotional worship?
 
We are not requesting removal of all your statues of Hindu Deities, but only the few that show our Deities in sexual positions, as follows:
1. All versions of the Shiva Shakti statues under your Tantra section. E.g.:
2. All versions of statues with nudity/sexuality associated with Hindu Deites, Vishnu, Ganesh, Lakshmi

http://www.sacredsource.com/Siddhi-Ganesh-plaque-65/productinfo/GWP/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Laxshmi-Vishnu-plaque-85/productinfo/LVP/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shakti-Shiva-plaque-7/productinfo/SSP/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva_Shakti-statue-4/productinfo/SS4/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-_-Shakti-statue-12/productinfo/PS-SS/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-Shakti-8-statue/productinfo/SSET/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-Shakti-statue-8/productinfo/SS/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-Shakti-statue-12/productinfo/SSL/
 
http://www.sacredsource.com/Ganesh-Reading-6-statue/productinfo/GR/
 
Please do the needful to prevent further hurting of Hindus’ religious statements and protests.
 
Sincerely,
Bhavna Shinde.
www.ForumForHinduAwakening.org

On 6 July 2010, Bhavna Shinde wrote:

||Sree||
     
Namaste.
    
We came across Hindu Deities’ statues on your site that show revered Hindu Deities like Sree Vishnu, Shiva, Sree Ganesh and Sree Lakshmi in perverse or sexual positions. The statues, especially those under your Tantra section, are contrary to Hindu Holy scriptural description of the forms of Hindu Deities. For example, your site has on sale a plaque called ‘Siddhi Ganesh’ showing Sree Ganesh in an intimate pose with a nude woman, and your statue ‘Shiva Shakti’ shows Lord Shiva in a sexual position with a nude woman.
    
This is denigrating to Hinduism and hurting to Hindus worldwide who reverently worship the Deities. We urge you to look into this immediately, and remove these statues from your website and sale, to prevent further hurting of Hindus’ religious sentiments.

Sincerely,
Bhavna Shinde
www.ForumforHinduAwakening.org

Protest letter by a devout Hindus

From: Deepak Vasudevan
Date: Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 4:57 AM
Subject: Re: Vehement Denigration of Religious Beliefs in the homepage of Sacred Source
To: Hindujagruti <[email protected]>

SacredSource has not replied and is keeping mum over the issue. I believe they are backed up by either unscrupulous political powers or religious miscreants which are making them to demonstrate this misdemeanor. The SacredSource homepage now shows Madonna but when I search it I find several obscene items http://www.sacredsource.com/Shiva-Shakti-statue-12/productinfo/SSL/

They are being serviced through mailordercentral and DYDACOMP.NET. I am trying to see whether they can be shutdown.

Thanks and Regards,
Deepak Kumar Vasudevan

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 8:49 AM, Deepak Vasudevan wrote:

Hello Sacred Source,

You may not be aware that select items portrayed in SacredSource are directly hurting the sentiments and religious beliefs of people in Asia Pacific and typically the subcontinent of India. I would like to specifically invite your attention to the screenshot captured around 8.40 AM EDT of 12th July 2010. Lord Shiva is considered a most important entity ruling the universe, significant one in ‘The Trinity’ and portrayal of Lord in a controversial and obscene form is strongly condemnable.

It would be appreciated that such objectionable content are depublished from your online source and also desisted from being traded.

If you would like to know how are these in objectionable state, I am also including the leading publications house in Asia Pacific (Dinamalar) who are pioneers for centuries in releasing a lot of books, newspapers and periodicals. They would be able to succinctly point at and guide you on the nature and depth of denigration and also can help you in narrowing down on the various denigratory derogatory stuff in your website in an endeavor to remove them from your catalog.

We appreciate you cooperation and assistance in this regard. Let us know if you would need more info …
Deepak Kumar Vasudevan

An appeal to Hindus, Hindu organizations and Hindu leaders – ‘Be careful when the media approaches you !’

The below outlined blatant denigration of Hindu Deities by Sacred Source store, their non-response to Hindus’ concerns and subsequently showcasing the denigrating images on their home page shows that they are either being defiant, or trying to cash in on the media attention, or both. Nowhere is there any interest on the part of Sacred Source to understand Hinduism, the concerns of Hindus and create goodwill or prevent further hurt, by removing the denigrating statues which are only a small percentage of all the statues they have on Hinduism and other symbols.
 
The faulty media reporting, quoting the American Hindu Association’s statement out of context, shows the media mentality to merely sensationalize, even at the cost of inaccurate reporting, and an attempt (intentional?) to detract attention from Hindus’ concerns by showing that it is okay to have denigrating statues of Hindu Deities.
 
Note also that the comments on the news article often have at least one from a ‘so-called Hindu’ who says that no one can speak on their behalf and that the denigration is okay in the tolerant tradition of Hinduism. No Hindu who worships Shiva devotedly can tolerate to see Him sexually straddled by a nude woman. Hence, it is suspect as to who makes such a comment – is it someone with a vested interest in the denigration – commercially, religiously or politically?
 
In such a challenging environment to represent Hinduism, we urge our Hinduism interested readers, as well as all Hindu organizations and leaders, to be alert to these aspects when approached by the media over some Hindu issue, by:
1. asking them to provide all the details on the issue in question
2. providing them your statement promptly (to ensure a voice for Hindus in the media), but only after studying the issue preferably on your own
3. if practical, discussing the issue with the Hindus/organizations who have expressed concerns in the media
4. issuing joint statements with them if possible, as a show of Hindu solidarity and unity on such issues as denigration
5. witholding your public comment on the issue if you disagree with the protesting Hindus on the protest or on the issue
 
Remember, regardless of how blatant or insignificant some Hindu issue or denigration may seem to us, standing united against it, and not making statements detracting from each other’s viewpoints, is the only way to avoid confusion about Hinduism’s teachings in the largely non-Hindu communities and insensitive media !

Successful Protest campaigns by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

1. ‘Digit’ magazine apologises for supporting denigratory movie ‘Sita sings the Blues’
2. Denigration of Lord Ganesh stopped by Pantaloons after protest by HJS and devout Hindus
3. Denigration of Hindu Deities by ‘Cycle Brand’ Incense sticks stopped after protest by devout Hindus !
4. HJS stopped defamation of Lord Krushna by Tata Sky 
5. HJS stopped Defamation of Shri Krushna and Nude Radha

Read More about Successful Campaigns

 

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