PERTURBED HINDUS have asked for the immediate withdrawal of yogamats carrying images of Hindu deities, sold by a Germany based firm Yogistar, calling it inappropriate.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, 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.

 Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, 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 hurts the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion in 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 stressed.

Yogamats Hindu devotees would find inappropriate including those carrying images of Hindu deities Shiva, Lakshmi and Ganesha, which are classified as “Yogamatte Götter-Edition” with each carrying a  price tag of  24.90 Euros (about 1623 Indian Rupees). Based in Wiggensbach (Germany) with contact information given in Wendelins (Germany) and branch in Switzerland, its Geschäftsführer (managing director) are listed as: Matthias Beck, Uwe Haardt.

Yogistar Vertriebs with tagline "designed fur yoga", which sells online at “yogistar.com”, 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.