Releasing a Hinduphobic Ad ahead of a Hindu festival is an Indian Corporate trend. Joining the Hinduphobic Ad bandwagon is Parle Company which released a Ganeshotsav Ad ‘challenging traditions.’

Parle’s Hinduphobic Ad before Ganeshotsav

The Ad for Parle G biscuit shows a family at a Murtikar’s place to bring home Ganpati murti for Ganeshotsav. The family’s young girl child wants to carry the murti home but her mother says, “Only males are allowed to carry the murti” and calls her elder cousin brother to come forward to do the honours. The brother questions why his sister and other women can’t carry the vigraha home. The elders explain that it is ‘traditionally a male’s duty’ to bring Bhagwan Ganesh home. The Ad, created by the advertising agency Thought Blurb Communications, closes with a ‘change in tradition’ and the women of the household leaving with the Ganesh murti.

The ‘creative minds’ of the Ad agency have created an imaginary world of their own where women aren’t allowed to carry Bhagwan Ganesh’s murti home. For a Mumbai-based agency, this is the height of ignorance and a complete lack of knowledge. All the agency had to do was look around before coming up with this Hinduphobic AD. Women participate in the Dhol-Tasha Pathaks (Groups) during Ganeshotsav and enthusiastically take part in both the Agaman (welcoming) and Visarjan of Sri Ganesh.

It would be interesting to note which Dharmic Granth refers to the tradition of disallowing women to bring home Bhagwan Ganpati’s murti. As a Mumbaikar by birth who has been part of many Agaman and Visarjan processions, let me emphasize in no uncertain terms that there is no tradition where women are disallowed to carry the vigraha.

I’ll share some of my observations and highlight why the Ad is wrong at many levels. Many Sarvajanik murtis are carried by men owing to their weight but as far as residential Ganpatis are concerned, there are no hard and fast rules. Sarvajanik Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations began only in 1893 when Lokamany Tilak started public celebrations to fight the British Raj.

Even though the exact date isn’t known, household Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have been going on for centuries. The entire family heads together and at the most the elderly ladies of the family stay back to take Aarti and welcome Bhagwan home. It is often the oldest lady of the house, considered to be the Gruhalakshmi, who does the Aarti.

Moreover, Ganpati Bappa is considered an honourable guest (rather a visiting relative) so the doors of the house are never shut during the festive days. Hence, some family members stay back and many a time they happen to the womenfolk who also take on the responsibility of cooking the Naivedya Prasad (divine offering). Women manage the entire household and even go out to work. When females are allowed to play Dhol Tasha, would tradition stop them from bringing home Ganpati Bappa?

Such Hinduphobic Ads are a result of pseudo-secularism and Feminazism superimposed on Hindu Samaj. The only aim behind creating such a baseless advertisement is to present Hindu Dharma in a negative light and make false accusations of patriarchy. At the risk of repeating myself, no tradition denies females the right to carry the murti. In fact, in many families, it is the womenfolk who perform the Puja. I have myself had the privilege of doing the Puja once when my parents were out of town. The point I’m trying to repeatedly emphasize is no Hindu shastra denies any rights to females as shown in the Ad.

History of Hinduphobic Ads by Indian Corporates during Hindu Festivals

This isn’t the first time a Hindu festival has been attacked with false propaganda. Here are other Indian corporates who targeted Hindu festive celebrations using Hinduphobic Ads:

1) Swiggy’s Hinduphobic Ad during Holi read “Omelette; Sunny side-up; Kisi ke sarr par. #BuraMatKhelo. Get Holi essentials on Instamart,” suggesting people should use eggs instead of the traditional colours. The billboards were removed after public backlash.

2) Deepawali has been repeatedly targeted by Hindumisic elements. Tata’s brand Tanishq did the same in 2020 with its Hinduphobic Ad titled ‘Ekatvam’ where traditional celebrations by doing Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja were reduced to a family get-together event.

3) Fabindia faced backlash from Hindus over an ad for its festive line titled ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’, which appropriated the Hindu festival Diwali by using Urdu, a language associated with Muslims.

4) Last year, the matrimonial website Bharat Matrimony made an advertisement for Holi calling it a festival of sexual harassment, under the garb of giving out a message on International Women’s Day which coincided with Holi last March.

5) Surf Excel’s Holi ad portrayed a girl shielding her Muslim friend from being coloured, which was criticized for suggesting that Hindus forcefully apply colours on Muslims during the festival. The Hinduphobic ad faced significant backlash for promoting what many viewed as a divisive narrative.

6) Dabur Fem Karwa Chauth Ad featured a same-sex couple celebrating Karwa Chauth, deviating completely from what the festival stands for and who must perform the rituals. The ad was removed after backlash from Hindus. 

7) Hindustan Lever’s Brooke Bond Red Label Tea featured a Hinduphobic Ad during Ganesh Chaturthi where a Hindu man was apprehensive about buying Bhagwan Ganesh’s murti from a Muslim vendor but has a change of heart after having a cup of tea with the latter.

8) Brooke Bond didn’t even spare the spiritually enhancing Kumbh Mela. The brand’s Hinduphobic Ad showed a son abandoning his elderly father at the Mela. The Ad received backlash for inappropriately using the Kumbh Mela context, portraying Hindus in a negative light by suggesting they abandon their parents, and ultimately disrespecting Hindu culture.

Hindu festivals are repeatedly targeted with the woke agenda as seen in the above Hinduphobic Ads. In many cases, the exception is made the norm to deliberately portray Hindu Dharma and Samaj in a bad and negative light. They are now taking their propaganda to new levels by making up traditions that never existed as seen in the Parle Ad. Not just the Ad agency but Parle Company must also be held equally responsible for pushing their anti-Hindu agenda that has no base in reality.

Hindu Samaj shouldn’t allow its festivals to be turned into some kind of social messaging event where Hinduphobic Ads are used for virtue signalling. More often than not imaginary issues are created to sell their solutions and brands.

I pray to Ganpati Bappa, the bestower of knowledge, to knock some good sense into these people so that they at least do some basic research regarding traditions before making them up.