Hindus are upset at the depiction of  the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear displayed at recently concluded Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW), held in Sydney, Australia, which they termed repugnant. Indian political activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) burnt photocopies of a model wearing the controversial swimwear in protest against Australian designer Lisa Burke who produced swimwear featuring the Hindu deity. The controversy began when models walked the ramp on May 4 in the ungodly swimwear, which can be considered an insult to members of the Hindu community.

Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and beauty in Hinduism and is also known as 'world-mother'. Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Swimwear claims to represent "the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time."

Acclaimed Indian fashion designer Ritu Kumar feels that many contemporary designers use Hindu imagery "without understanding the symbolism attributed to our gods and goddesses." Ashish Soni, another well-known fashion designer echoed her viewpoint when he said to the Times of India, "Most of this happens out of ignorance. They don't realize the use of godly images, and the fact that they are actually deities worshiped."

Hindu American statesman Rajan Zed, said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company, Zed argued.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the manufacturer Lisa Blue Swimwear and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize, and immediately recall all swimwear, which showed Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees, he said. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed stressed.

Indeed, ignorance is bliss, but sometimes it can turn into blisters! What do you feel? Please post your valuable comments below.

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While many Hindus regard Tagore as the 'god of poetry', what actually makes him unique is his 'poetry of god'. On the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, which conclude on May 7, 2011, let's look at the mystical side of the myriad minded bard of Bengal.

Rabindranath Tagore, the first Hindu Nobel Laureate - brought out the essence of Eastern spirituality in his poetry like no other poet. His spiritual vision, as he himself said, is imbued "with the ancient spirit of India as revealed in our sacred texts."

Swami Adiswarananda of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, says, "Tagore's philosophical and spiritual thoughts transcend all limits of language, culture, and nationality. In his writings, the poet and mystic takes us on a spiritual quest and gives us a glimpse of the infinite in the midst of the finite, unity at the heart of all diversity, and the Divine in all beings and things of the universe."

Tagore's Gitanjali or 'Song Offerings' that contains his own English prose translations of Bengali poetry was published in 1913 with an introduction by the Irish poet W. B. Yeats. This book won Tagore the Nobel Prize for Literature that year.

Read this selection of poetic prose to realize that "We had not known that we loved God, hardly it may be that we believed in Him," as Yeats puts it. See also: A dozen quotes from Tagore on God

Select Books on Tagore:

• Rabindranath Tagore by Krishna Dutta & Andrew Robinson
• The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore by Kalyan Sen Gupta
• The Heart of God: Prayers of Rabindranath Tagore by Herbert F. Vetter

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) hailed the heroism of U.S. Armed Forces and congratulated the Obama Administration today for the successful operation in Abbotabad, Pakistan that ended the life of Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda and mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.

That bin Laden's end came in a compound so close to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where some have speculated he had been hiding and operating his terror base for several years, is emblematic of "profound intertwining "of the Pakistani military and intelligence service with terror networks, asserted HAF leaders as they assessed the aftermath.  

"Today, a man who slaughtered thousands of innocent Americans was brought to justice despite being harbored in the heartland of Pakistan, but the war on terror is far from over," said Suhag A. Shukla, Esq., Managing Director of HAF, a non-profit, non-partisan organization promoting the Hindu and American ideals of understanding, tolerance and pluralism.

"The Pakistani military, that has institutionalized terror as a proxy war weapon, stands exposed despite dubious assertions to the contrary, of its close relationships with al Qaeda and the Taliban.  The real test for the global community is whether it is brave enough to call out and expose Pakistan's double game," said Shukla.

According to public records, since 2001, the US has given Pakistan over $17 billion in military and humanitarian aid to fight Islamic insurgency and invest in its infrastructure. But no serious progress has been made in dismantling the Islamist terror infrastructure that fueled a decades old conflict in India's state of Jammu and Kashmir, supports the ongoing instability in Afghanistan and perpetrated the Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Shukla pointed out that HAF's upcoming annual Hindu human rights report once again censures Pakistan for serious persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan, and that they have been "disenfranchised for decades by the same ideology that brought attacks to America's borders."

"In a country where the rule of law affords little protection to Hindus, Christians and Ahmaddiyas, and brave public officials are assassinated when they dare to speak, how can ordinary citizens expect justice for crimes perpetrated against them," asked Jay Kansara, HAF's Associate Director.

Kansara added, "With bin Laden gone, U.S. engagement with Pakistan should not end here but rather continue with open dialog regarding its fledgling human rights record. We urge the Obama Administration to put heightened pressure on the Pakistani Government to protect their religious minorities and adequately serve justice to those who perpetuate intolerance."

Hindus believe in the theory of 'mahurats' or auspicious timings in every step in life - be it to begin a new venture or making an important purchase. Akshaya Tritiya is one such momentous occasion, which is considered one of the most auspicious days of the Vedic Calendar. It is believed, any meaningful activity started on this day would be fruitful.

Akshaya Tritiya falls on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakh month, when the Sun and Moon are in exaltation; they are simultaneously at their peak of brightness, which happens only once every year. This year Akshaya Tritiya falls on the 6th of May... Read more