German company removes objectionable yoga mats with images of Hindu deities

Nevada (US), Jan 22 (ANI): Germany based firm Yogistar has reportedly withdrawn from its website yoga mats carrying the images of Hindu deities, which upset Hindus had called inappropriate and asked for immediate withdrawal.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, has thanked Yogistar for immediate action and for listening to the sentiments of about one billion strong worldwide Hindu community.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement on this issue on January 19, had said 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, as in some of Yogistar yoga mats.

Rajan Zed had 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.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed had stressed.

Some of the products shown on Yogistar website on January 19 that Hindu devotees would find inappropriate included yoga mats carrying images of Hindu deities Shiva, Lakshmi and Ganesha, which were classified as "Yogamatte G?tter-Edition" with each carrying a price tag of 24.90 Euros (about 1623 Indian Rupees); and these were reportedly no longer seen on the website today.

Yogistar Vertriebs with tagline "designed fur yoga", which sells online at "yogistar.com", in addition to yoga mats also carries yoga related tops, pants, shirts, leggings, jerseys, CDs/DVDs/Videos, blocks, belts, bottles, bags, stools, T-shirts, books; besides malas, meditationshockers, meditation timers, netis, teas, ayurvedic kajals, meditation cushions, etc. Based in Wiggensbach (Germany) with contact information given in Wendelins (Germany) and branch in Switzerland, its Gesch?ftsf?hrer (managing director) are listed as: Matthias Beck, Uwe Haardt. (ANI)