HOME RETAILER “WAYFAIR” REMOVED LORD GANESH DOORMAT AFTER HINDU PROTEST

NEWS IMPACT

Face2News/Nevada

Boston headquartered “Wayfair”, “one of the world’s largest home retailers”, seems to have withdrawn doormat carrying the image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh after Hindus protested; calling it highly inappropriate.

This objectionable Ganesh Door Mat (which “features a stunning depiction of Ganesh, the revered Hindu deity” and was priced at $50.99 on Wayfair website), which Hindus urged Wayfair to withdraw, was not found on its website when searched today.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Wayfair for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which thought the image of Lord Ganesh on such a product was insensitive.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested that companies should send their concerned staff for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

Rajan Zed had said that it was shocking to visualize that Wayfair, for its mercantile greed, was apparently persuading the world to scrub/wipe their shoes to remove dirt-dust-mud before entering a door on the image of Lord Ganesh, which Hindus worshipped.

Hindu deity Lord Ganesh, whose image was depicted on doormat sold at Wayfair website, was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for trapping allergens, debris, dirt, dust, grit, moisture, mud, odor, sand; drying shoe soles; providing comfort underfoot; scraping debris off footwear soles; softening noise; acting as pet paw cleaner; putting one’s feet/shoes on for cleaning or sweeping on; as was the case here. Inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees; Zed had indicated.

Rajan Zed stated that Hindus were still waiting for an apology from Wayfair and its co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.3 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed had noted.

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deity was disturbing to the Hindus. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshiped as God of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Net revenue of Wayfair, whose tagline is “the destination for all things home”, was $12.5 Billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025. With inception in 2002, Wayfair is home to over 40 million products; operates 17 fulfillment and 38 delivery centers across the USA, Canada, United Kingdom; and plans to open its 10th Wayfair store in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in 2028.