HINDUS ARE upset at unnecessarily dragging of a Hindu ceremony of bhumi-pujan (earth-worship) into an electoral battle for governor’s race in Kentucky in the US. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement said that it was upsetting to hear that ancient sacred Hindu ceremony was reportedly termed as an act of idolatry.

Kentucky governorship candidate David Williams should apologize for the reported comments about the Hindu ceremony, because if elected on November eight, he would be the Governor of all Kentuckians, including Hindu Kentuckians, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued. Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be trivialized and taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed stressed.

Governor Steve Beshear, also a candidate for Kentucky Governorship, and Elizabethtown Mayor Tim Walker reportedly participated sitting in the traditional shoeless and cross-legged way in the bhumi-pujan ceremony on Friday with community leaders and executives of Flex Films which is aiming to build a manufacturing plant in Elizabethtown (Kentucky). The traditional ceremony, which included burning incense and ceremonial fire and Sanskrit mantra chanting, was conducted on site of the new plant, whose first phase is claimed to be operational by the end of 2012.  Sen. Dennis Parrett and Rep. Jimmie Lee of Elizabethtown; Hardin County Judge-Executive Harry L. Berry; former state Sen. Joe Prather; Pradeep Tyle and Audi Chaturavedi, CEO and Director respectively of Flex Films; were also present, according to reports.

A Governor’s office release says that this project “stems from Gov. Beshear’s first economic development trip to India in the fall of 2010”. “The blessing ceremony is a traditional service in India for new homes, businesses or other facilities.  To show partnership in the new endeavor, both Flex Films executives and state and local officials participated in the ceremony”, release adds.