Ashwin Krushnapaksha Saptami, Kaliyug Varsha 5116
Artistic denigrating images of Shri Ganesh on California Temple
Recently, alert Hindus notified Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) regarding Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in a temple in California. The temple website and newsletter depicted artistically drawn images of Lord Ganesh, which were not according to Shastra (Hinduism’s spiritual science). Also, a rule of Spiritual science says that ‘the word, touch, form, taste, smell and the energy of any object co-exist.’ Same is the case here, wherein Deity in its original form will benefit us spiritually rather than an artistic one as it is not as per Shastra.
HJS sent a letter to the Temple Event Coordinator and a Board Member explaining to them how displaying artistic forms of Lord Ganesh amounts to denigration. They were provided links to download sattvik images of Lord Ganesh to replace the denigrating ones and urged to visit the HJS website to learn about the correct way of celebrating Shree Ganesh Chaturthi according to the science of Spirituality.
HJS’ activists called the temple coordinator, who agreed with the points and said that he would ask the temple web-master to select sattvik images.