Some examples of commercial use of Hindu images in promotions in the past:

Shiva on US-based Monarch Beverages?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ advertisement for energy drink and the multi-national company Ford?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s advertisement for cars;

Distorted Shiva (as a semi-naked woman) in Koher?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s ad for shower fittings etc.

Would it not be just on our part to expect and assume that advertisement agencies conduct research into the usage of icons, and thoroughly whet any emotional implications they might cause before employing them? Yet, Ford had the audacity to state that the ads were designed by Hindu employers who deemed Shiva?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s commercial exploitation unremarkable. Did it not occur to them that no company uses Hindu images to advertise products in a country of 827 million Hindus? (Italics has been used because though advertisements in India routinely involve Hindu imagery and worship, they are depicted reverentially as an integral part of the storylineof the adverts, rather than being used as an end in themselves to sell products.)

The latest commercial exploitation of Hindu imagery to irk Hindus around the world is the use of Durga Devi in the promotion of Whisky produced by Southern Comfort based in California, USA. Durga has been depicted astride her lion brandishing bottles of booze in her many arms. These posters have been stuck in discos in Greece, which is how it has come to annoy Hindus. There have been protests in UK, India and Greece following which the Greek embassy in India seems to have asked Greek authorities to remove those posters from the discos. It remains to be seen however if they are removed.

But, Southern Comfort has not issued an apology for the commercial use of Hindu spiritual images.

Would you like to drink Brahma Beer? InBev, a multinational brewer, brings to you Brahma beer. They describe it as:

BRAHMA, one of the world’s top ten beer brands, captures the very essence of this effortless Brasilian flair. With a distinctive, easy-drinking taste and original, fluidly curved bottle, BRAHMA is Brasilian to the last drop. Even the bottle seems to sway a little, using Ginga of its own.

Brewed in Brasil since 1888, when brewmaster Joseph Villiger established the brewery in Rio de Janeiro, BRAHMA has become Brasil’s most famous beer. Yet, more than just a piece of authentic Brasilian heritage, BRAHMA is a celebration of a way of living that embraces optimism, inventiveness and ingenuity. Life’s better when you live it with flair.

How would you like to eat Ganesha, Devi, Krishna or Om? Even if they are made of Chocolate?? Well, Chocolatedeities.com sells just these. But they have wonderful explanations of these Gods on their pages, so they have done their research right; and indeed the Devi Chocolate has her 108 names on it.

Some folks say- But we can’t eat the Deity! So they choose to place it on their altars as an
offering. Others transmute it into another form: melt it to make excellent hot chocolate or sauce for
a Sun Day. Most of the world over, however, after a food offering is made to the Deity, it is taken
from the altar and consumed in a blessed repast.

And practically, these chocolates are high quality Belgian chocolate and fair trade (though they are not Vegan).

But don’t worry, they have the Cross, the Buddha, Buddha’s eyes, Star of David etc. But it is very striking that they do not have Jesus Christ – even the Sacred Heart or the Celtic Cross that they sell does not have Jesus on it. Is it double standards? Is it because of fear of the violence that Westerners are characteristic of, and the tolerance that Easterners pride themselves on?

I’d feel rather queasy sitting in a bar ordering Brahma or eating chocolates that have these Gods on them, what is YOUR feeling? Do tell us in the comments below, so we know what others feel about this…

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