Hindus dismayed over parading of Hindu gods at a Louisiana ball  

Hindus are dismayed over reported parading of Hindu deities at a ball and tableau in Morgan City in Louisiana on January 23, calling it highly inappropriate.

According to reports, The Ladies’ Krewe of Galatea held its 47th annual ball and tableau at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, in which Queen Galatea XLVII was shown as Shakti (divine power manifested as Goddess), the King posed as Brahma (the creator God), captain presented as Vishnu (the preserver God); and other members of the court were exhibited as Hindu deities Lakshmi (Goddess of good fortune), Krishna (Vishnu’s avatar), Parvati (Shiva’s consort), Murugan (God of youth & war), Kali (Goddess of time & change), Hanuman (powerful deity hero of Ramayana), Saraswati (Goddess of knowledge) and Surya (the sun God). The board-of-directors/officers, who led the Krewe, were stated as Vedas (oldest Hinduism texts). The parade lieutenant was a ‘Snake Charmer’, who led the participants at dance.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Hindu deities were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be trivialized in balls and tableaus. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for entertainment and other agendas was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged organizers of this ball to offer a formal apology.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.

Zed further said that Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it were disturbing for the followers, Zed added.

Reports suggested that at this event Lakshmi was escorted by Krishna, Parvati was escorted by Murugan, Kali was escorted by Hanuman and Saraswati was on Surya’s arm—which were inconsistent of Hindu scriptures and were highly improper, Rajan Zed pointed out.

The Krewe of Galatea will reportedly organize a parade on February seven afternoon and Zed hoped that they did not pose as Hindu deities.