A nightclub named Elrow – a Barcelona club stunned the UK Hindus after bringing out a poster allegedly for a ‘Bollywood’ party that is due to take place in February.
The club was asked to apologize after showing Lord Shiva with the beak of a hen with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of champaign in his lap surrounded by flamingoes.
The party is due to be held on February 18 and 19 and the Hindu groups were asking for an apology.
Manchester Evening News reported that the nightclub had relented and has issued an apology.
A statement issued by the nightclub said:
“We would like to apologise to anyone offended by the Elrow Bollywood artwork released yesterday.We have taken onboard the feedback and changed the Bollywood artwork across the board.”
Another statement on the Albert Hall website reads:
“We want to apologise to anyone who has taken offence at the elrow Bollywood artwork. This was not at all the intention – we have taken all feedback and comments onboard and have now changed the image.”
Hindu Gods and Goddesses have become a target of many distasteful commercial activities. Recently an Amparo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) based “award-winning” Cervejaria Ashby brewery had to apologize and withdraw the Ganesha and Vishnu beers after Hindus protested against them.
Ganesha Ambar IPA and Vishnu Red IPA beers carried the picture of the respective Hindu deities.
Nightclub not alone, denigrating and targeting Hindu culture and Gods is happening across the world
Why the nightclub failed to differentiate between Hindu Gods and Bollywood, itself is troubling and shows the lack of understanding on the part of the nightclub’s team but considering that similar stunts have been pulled in the past without any major protests show just why people continue to abuse the Hindu culture and ethos. It is absolutely understandable that many find the Hindu religion and Bollywood enchanting what with colorful attires and aesthetically pleasing personalities of Gods. Also the fact that the Hindu Gods are seen as benign, pretty, colorful, peaceful, and indulgent towards the mankind adds to their charm. In cultures, bereft of such pleasing aspects of the Supreme Soul, this evokes wonder and awe.
Hinduism also allows people to interpret the meaning of life by themselves which again is unique and it adds value to one’s life but instead of appreciating and learning from it, many have, unfortunately, taken to denigrating it. This is worrisome and shows that the colonial hangovers of abusing faiths and native culture still exists in certain sections. Temple and idol destructions which regularly happen in Pakistan and Bangladesh are the next stages of such abuse. Why does it happen? Because with the constant mockery of Hindu faith, the society becomes impervious to the pain that such denigration causes to a Hinduism follower.
Keeping the worldwide denigration of Hinduism in mind, it is thus imperative that such peaceful protests must take place because like they say, what a man does not understand, it ends up destroying. Let the nightclubs and all others understand it.
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