Paper short abstract:

By examining a few case studies in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and India, this paper explores appropriations of Hindu imagery in the media, and it studies certain religious groups' responses to what they define as the misappropriation of their sacred iconography.

Paper long abstract:

In recent years, Hindu religious organizations in India and abroad assert that the appearance of their gods to decorate commodities, to market merchandise, and to further secular ideas in advertising media (print and the Internet) and in print media (newspapers and magazines) denigrates Hinduism. Furthermore, they resort to digital media (websites and email) and social media (Twitter and Facebook) to lodge their complaints against companies, generate mass interest in their cause, and mobilize members of the Hindu faith. This paper examines a few case studies since 2000 in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and India to explore implementations of Hindu imagery beyond prescribed spaces and to study certain religious groups' responses to what they define as the misappropriation of their sacred iconography. In doing so, this paper argues that religion becomes reified rather than dynamic and those who protest against the imagery use outside lived religious practices reveal more about their proclaimed rights rather than concerns over the actual preservation of religious purity.