When products displaying Lord Ganesha surfaced on Walmart’s website such as slippers, undergarments, swimsuits, and trousers, it got backlash from the people against the retail giant. Most claimed Walmart disrespected religious feelings while also insisting that an apology was warranted if they were to remove the respective articles.
On X (formerly Twitter), a user posted images of the products, with a criticism for their selling. “Listen! Walmart, featuring Lord Ganesha on underwear and casual wear is deeply disrespectful to Hindus. Deities are not fashion statements; they hold profound spiritual significance. Please reconsider this product line to show respect for religious symbols,” they said.
The screenshots revealed multiple vendors selling the items. One listing described trousers as, “Lukts celestial Ganesh blessings for men – sleek straight pyjama pants, versatile lounge pants, and cosy sleepwear all in one-xx-large.”
Another user was unhappy and shared more images of products with the caption, “This is unacceptable. You can’t demean our Hindu Gods. Walmart should immediately withdraw ‘Celestial Ganesh Blessings collection’ and apologize to Hindus.”
This is unacceptable. You can’t demean our Hindu Gods.@Walmart should immediately withdraw ‘Celestial Ganesh Blessings collection’ and apologise to Hindus. 😡😡 pic.twitter.com/KGCcqqObXu
— Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) December 6, 2024
The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group representing Hindu Americans, condemned the retailer’s actions. “We have written directly to Walmart regarding the disrespectful misuse of Hindu imagery on slippers & bathing suits,” they noted, calling for the immediate removal of the items.
The organization added highlighting the importance of Lord Ganesha, “Ganesha is a god worshipped by over one billion adherents of Dharma religions across the world as remover of obstacles. We request that these offending items be pulled from the market immediately.”
Dear @walmarthelp: @HinduAmerican has written directly to @Walmart regarding the disrespectful misuse of Hindu imagery on slippers & bathing suits.
Ganesha is a deity worshipped by more than a billion followers of Dharma religions around the world as the remover of obstacles.… pic.twitter.com/WHrpFOYPQU
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) December 6, 2024
HAF further said that it was open to a dialogue about the proper use of Hindu deities in commercial products.
Even though Walmart has not yet made an official statement on the “Celestial Ganesh Blessings collection,” most of these offensive items have been pulled from their website after a public outcry.
