Miami clothing firm designed Hindu god shorts. Religious leaders demand they stop production

A Miami-Dade clothing company is now under fire by Hindu leaders after it designed shorts carrying images of a sacred Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha.

Late Sunday night, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the Miami Herald in an emailed statement that the highly-revered god was “meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines, not to to adorn people’s thighs, hips, groin, buttocks, genitals and pelvis.”

Now Zed, who is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, along with other Hindu leaders, are demanding that the Doral-based firm — On Cue Apparel — stop making the shorts design and issue an apology.

On Cue Apparel leaders — who dubbed the shorts “Ganesha BW Shorts” with a price tag of $34.99 — were not immediately available for comment Sunday night.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshiped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles.

Monique O. Madan

Miami Herald

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Monique O. Madan covers immigration and enterprise; she previously covered breaking news and local government. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and The Dallas Morning News. In 2019 she was a Reveal Fellow at the Center for Investigative Reporting. She’s a graduate of Harvard University, Emerson College and The Honors College at Miami Dade College. A note to tipsters: If you want to send Monique confidential information, her email and mailbox are open. You can find all her stories here: moniqueomadan.com. You can also direct message her on social media and she’ll provide encrypted Signal details. Support my work with a digital subscription