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A photograph of a naked man in an exhibition at an art museum in Helsinki is sparking controversy, as Hindus have taken offense to the image and demanded its removal from the show.
Rajan Zed, an Indo-American statesman living in Nevada who heads the Universal Society of Hinduism, issued a press release yesterday calling the photograph, which is titled Hinduism: The Night of Pushkar 2, "disrespectful, hurting, and irreverent."
The work is part of an exhibition by Finnish artist Marita Liulia at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. The show, "Choosing My Religion," is a multimedia project that examines the major world religions. Hinduism is represented by a number of photographs, including The Night of Pushkar 2, which depicts a naked man sitting on a balcony wall with his head down. His genitals are visible.
Pushkar is one of India's oldest cities and is one of the five sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus.
Zed is calling for the removal of the photo as well as a public apology from the artist; the director of the Kiasma museum; the director general of the Finnish National Gallery, of which the Kiasma museum is a part; and the Finland Minister of Education, Henna Virkkunen.
"Hinduism is the oldest and and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken lightly," said Zed.
The exhibition runs through April 19, after which it will travel to the Finnish cities of Tampere, Turku, and Vaasa.
Rajan Zed, an Indo-American statesman living in Nevada who heads the Universal Society of Hinduism, issued a press release yesterday calling the photograph, which is titled Hinduism: The Night of Pushkar 2, "disrespectful, hurting, and irreverent."
The work is part of an exhibition by Finnish artist Marita Liulia at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. The show, "Choosing My Religion," is a multimedia project that examines the major world religions. Hinduism is represented by a number of photographs, including The Night of Pushkar 2, which depicts a naked man sitting on a balcony wall with his head down. His genitals are visible.
Pushkar is one of India's oldest cities and is one of the five sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus.
Zed is calling for the removal of the photo as well as a public apology from the artist; the director of the Kiasma museum; the director general of the Finnish National Gallery, of which the Kiasma museum is a part; and the Finland Minister of Education, Henna Virkkunen.
"Hinduism is the oldest and and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken lightly," said Zed.
The exhibition runs through April 19, after which it will travel to the Finnish cities of Tampere, Turku, and Vaasa.
