Concerns have been raised with the local New Zealand distributors of Shakti Mat – an acupressure mat for relaxation and healing - about the inappropriate depiction of traditional Hindu religious symbols for the marketing of the product.
Responding to a query by the Indian Weekender on a concern raised by a member of the public, Jonathan Heslop, director Shakti Mat said, “We are aware of this complaint and are taking it very seriously.”
Earlier, a member of the public has raised concerns and had been in constant touch with Shakti Mat distributors in New Zealand after he found the use of Hindu religious symbols – OM and Shri Yantra – on the yoga mats as inappropriate and disrespectful to his core religious sentiments.
Lalit Sharma, a Christchurch resident, is offended by the manner in which NZ based company is marketing yoga mats on their website with traditional Hindu religious symbols displayed on the foot mats.
Aum is one of the deeply religious and most revered symbol of Hindu religion.
“This company is selling foot mats and other products with OM and Shri Yantra symbols on them. People stand on them with their shoes which I find completely inappropriate.”
“I have contacted the firm and expressed my anguish on what I see as cheap marketing gimmicks at the cost of our religious beliefs and Indian culture.”
“There are other creative ways of marketing a product,” Lalit said exasperatingly.
“I haven’t seen a generous display of religious symbols of other religions say Christianity or Islam being depicted on foot mats or other mats.
Notably, the use of Hindu religious symbols for marketing, or just satire in public spaces, has long been a frivolous practice in many regions of the global West, including in New Zealand.
In Nov 2020, global online marketing giant Amazon came under fire for selling products such as underwear and doormats with Hindu sacred symbols, causing a furore on social media.
Near our shores, a few years ago, an Australian brewer has come under fire for using images of Hindu gods (Lord Ganesha) on its ginger beer bottle labels.
In that regard, Lord Ganesha - known most commonly in the West for his elephant face – is the most common inappropriately-depicted Hindu deity for the sake of product-marketing.
Shakti Mat came into existence in 2009 when Swedish Yogi Om Mokshananda, earlier known by the name of Jonathan Hellbom, invented a spiked-mat based on an ancient Indian practice of “bed of nails,” which is believed to provide some health benefits.
Two young Kiwi-lads had a chance encounter with the Swedish yogi in Thailand many years ago and got introduced to the Spiky mat, who immediately plunged upon the idea of bringing the product in New Zealand.
The duo secured rights to sell the mats in Australia in 2016 and soon got distributing rights for New Zealand. The Shakti Mat is a Swedish company, but the product is made in a charity workshop in the holy Indian city of Varanasi. The design on the product, though, is of the proprietor Swedish Yogi Om Mokshananda.
Acknowledging the social connection with the product, New Zealand director Jonathan Heslop said, “As distributors of The Shakti Mat, we were drawn to this product because of its connection to India and the socially responsible way that it is manufactured in India. Our purpose is to celebrate and honour this connection.
“We understand now that the design of the product is not fulfilling this purpose and are working towards a solution,” Jon said.