Now Hindu Gods Get Dragged Into Debate About 'whiteness'
Maybe your like
EditionIN
Sign In
LONDON: Indian economist and author Rupa Subramanya kicked up a storm on Twitter after wading into a debate raging in Britain on whether statues of Jesus should be white by bringing Hindu gods into the melee.Commenting on the row, she tweeted: "We must also ask why Hindu deities are so light skinned. Very few Indians in real life are actually that fair..."Her tweet was sparked after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced he would review statues of Jesus in Britain in response to US-based Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King telling his 1.2 million Twitter followers that all murals and stained glass windows of a white Jesus should "come down".Welby told BBC Radio 4 that the way the Western church portrays Jesus "of course" needs to be thought about again. "That sense that God is white is something that, well, if you go into churches overseas you see a black Jesus or Chinese Jesus or Middle Eastern Jesus," he said.A larger number of Indians criticised Subramanya’s intervention, pointing out that Hindu gods are black, blue, yellow, red, white, and pink."Goddess Kali, Krishna, Shiva, Ram and so many other gods are never light skinned! In fact in southern India so many goddesses like Mariyamma, Chamundeshwari etc. are never light-skinned" one Twitter user, @ODonSecularism, wrote.Another, @deldiablo6, wrote: "Shiva-ji is dark, Krishna is black, Ram is blue, Vishnu is grey. Murugan is white, Ma Saraswati wears white."@ChakraNews wrote: "Most idols in most temples globally are in the colour of the material they are created from. Marble is seen as an auspicious form to create idols in, hence white."@larama02 tweeted: "Hinduism gives very little importance to the form and is all about the soul. It leaves it to the devotees to choose the form."Tax lawyer Amrita Bhinder responded with a picture of Kali, who is black.Subramanya, who lives between Canada and Mumbai, told TOI by phone from Canada: "Portrayals of Hindu deities are often portrayed as light-skinned when most Indians don’t look that way and that was my basic point. If people ask questions about how Jesus was portrayed, Indians should also ask questions about how Hindu deities are portrayed. I am not an expert on Hindu iconography. I was talking about popular portrayal like Hindu art calendars by well-known artists like Raja Ravi Varma where they are often really light-skinned, or in popular TV shows like ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’. Even deities people may have at home, like a poster of a deity like Lakshmi or Saraswati that people frame and worship, those are often super-light-skinned," she said.Anil Bhanot, director of the Hindu Council UK, said Rupa’s tweet demonstrated how "easy and fashionable it is to keep on denigrating Hindus and their dharma"."This is overblowing everything. This BLM movement has gone too far now," he said. "The colour doesn’t matter. It is all about what is acceptable to whom. Faith is a personal thing and it is all about what appeals to you. Jesus or any God is beyond colours. We use colours and forms according to our taste. The statues are there to help you connect higher to your transcendental spirit. These are people looking after their own egos, it is not really about their ultimate faith in God. Krishna has a dark complexion and Hanuman is red or orange. Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu so that is why he is sometimes depicted as blue."But Preeti Sharma Menon, national executive member of the AAP, tweeted that “while Krishna is the dark skinned one”, people at Iskcon “depict him as white”.A Krishna devotee from Iskcon Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford told TOI: "According to time, place and circumstances Krishna takes on many different forms. He is sometimes fair and sometimes dark. He is not always white," he said, citing Iskcon Vrindavan and Sri Sri Radha Madhav as examples where he is blackish in complexion. "He is beyond material complexion," the devotee said. "He has no religion, caste or colour. He can be whatever he likes. The statues of Jesus should not be changed either because they are about spirituality, not colour."End of ArticleFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
![logo]()
About usCreate Your Own AdTerms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy Privacy policyAdvertise with usRSSNewsletterFeedbackePaperSitemapArchivesFOLLOW US ON
- IN
- US
Sign InTOI
- world
- UK
- US Presidential Elections
- US
- Pakistan
- South Asia
- Europe
- China
- Middle East
- Rest of World
- Mad, Mad World
- Photos
- Videos
- Web Stories
- News
- World News
- UK News
- Now Hindu gods get dragged into debate about ‘whiteness’
- Small
- Medium
- Large
LONDON: Indian economist and author Rupa Subramanya kicked up a storm on Twitter after wading into a debate raging in Britain on whether statues of Jesus should be white by bringing Hindu gods into the melee.Commenting on the row, she tweeted: "We must also ask why Hindu deities are so light skinned. Very few Indians in real life are actually that fair..."Her tweet was sparked after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced he would review statues of Jesus in Britain in response to US-based Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King telling his 1.2 million Twitter followers that all murals and stained glass windows of a white Jesus should "come down".Welby told BBC Radio 4 that the way the Western church portrays Jesus "of course" needs to be thought about again. "That sense that God is white is something that, well, if you go into churches overseas you see a black Jesus or Chinese Jesus or Middle Eastern Jesus," he said.A larger number of Indians criticised Subramanya’s intervention, pointing out that Hindu gods are black, blue, yellow, red, white, and pink."Goddess Kali, Krishna, Shiva, Ram and so many other gods are never light skinned! In fact in southern India so many goddesses like Mariyamma, Chamundeshwari etc. are never light-skinned" one Twitter user, @ODonSecularism, wrote.Another, @deldiablo6, wrote: "Shiva-ji is dark, Krishna is black, Ram is blue, Vishnu is grey. Murugan is white, Ma Saraswati wears white."@ChakraNews wrote: "Most idols in most temples globally are in the colour of the material they are created from. Marble is seen as an auspicious form to create idols in, hence white."@larama02 tweeted: "Hinduism gives very little importance to the form and is all about the soul. It leaves it to the devotees to choose the form."Tax lawyer Amrita Bhinder responded with a picture of Kali, who is black.Subramanya, who lives between Canada and Mumbai, told TOI by phone from Canada: "Portrayals of Hindu deities are often portrayed as light-skinned when most Indians don’t look that way and that was my basic point. If people ask questions about how Jesus was portrayed, Indians should also ask questions about how Hindu deities are portrayed. I am not an expert on Hindu iconography. I was talking about popular portrayal like Hindu art calendars by well-known artists like Raja Ravi Varma where they are often really light-skinned, or in popular TV shows like ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’. Even deities people may have at home, like a poster of a deity like Lakshmi or Saraswati that people frame and worship, those are often super-light-skinned," she said.Anil Bhanot, director of the Hindu Council UK, said Rupa’s tweet demonstrated how "easy and fashionable it is to keep on denigrating Hindus and their dharma"."This is overblowing everything. This BLM movement has gone too far now," he said. "The colour doesn’t matter. It is all about what is acceptable to whom. Faith is a personal thing and it is all about what appeals to you. Jesus or any God is beyond colours. We use colours and forms according to our taste. The statues are there to help you connect higher to your transcendental spirit. These are people looking after their own egos, it is not really about their ultimate faith in God. Krishna has a dark complexion and Hanuman is red or orange. Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu so that is why he is sometimes depicted as blue."But Preeti Sharma Menon, national executive member of the AAP, tweeted that “while Krishna is the dark skinned one”, people at Iskcon “depict him as white”.A Krishna devotee from Iskcon Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford told TOI: "According to time, place and circumstances Krishna takes on many different forms. He is sometimes fair and sometimes dark. He is not always white," he said, citing Iskcon Vrindavan and Sri Sri Radha Madhav as examples where he is blackish in complexion. "He is beyond material complexion," the devotee said. "He has no religion, caste or colour. He can be whatever he likes. The statues of Jesus should not be changed either because they are about spirituality, not colour."End of ArticleFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAVisual Stories
Previous
9 most unique and rare birds in the world
Lifestyle
10 foods that contain highest protein per 100 grams
Lifestyle
8 Indian cities where non-vegetarian food is banned
Food
How to make South-Indian style Chicken Pakora
Food
10 lines from Shakespeare's sonnets that are profound life lessons
Lifestyle
Most beautiful hill stations in the Western Ghats for a serene vacation
travel
8 yoga poses that can reduce waist size effectively
Lifestyle
7 home remedies to remove yellow stains from teeth
Lifestyle
10 books that will help transform your life in the next 3 months
Lifestyle
Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: 10 South Indian dishes to make for Lord Ganesha
Food Next- 1
- 2
- 3
Hot Picks
Illia YefimchykArvind Kejriwal BailAnnapurna Interactive Staffs ResignedEx-Miss Switzerland FinalistHaitian ImmigrantsStock Market TodayDelhi Greater Kailash shootingTOP TRENDING
Vande MetroHamster Kombat Daily Cipher CodesNarayana MurthyGarena Free Fire Max Redeem CodesOsama Bin Laden SonDonald TrumpAadhar Card UpdateIndia vs Pakistan Asian Champions TrophyLargest Mammals in the WorldPatrick MahomesTrending Stories
In WorldEntire Website- 'We were treated like slaves, made to work for 15 hours a day': Tricked into Ukraine war, 3 from Karnataka return home
- 'My father was on the flight': Jaishankar opens up about 1984 Air India hijack
- Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal sends letter to Reliance Jio, Vodafone-Idea, Tata Tele and BSNL CEOs; here's what he said
- Prince Harry to celebrate 40th birthday away from Meghan Markle
- Haitian immigrant pet-eating row: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is US citizen, video is not from Springfield
- Kejriwal out of jail; 'CBI arrest only to frustrate ED case bail': SC judge
- Donald Trump reveals what Laura Loomer is to his campaign: 'I don't control her'
- Hamster Kombat Daily Cipher Codes and Combo Cards for September 14, 2024: Unlock up to 1 million coins
- Laura Loomer's photo with Donald Trump viral. People ask where's Melania, where's wedding ring
- Garena Free Fire MAX redeem codes for September 13: Win in-game goodies and rewards
- 'We were treated like slaves': Tricked into Ukraine war, 3 from Karnataka return home
- Ind vs Pak Hockey Live: India lead 2-1 with Harman's brace
- Five things to keep in mind before betting on Bajaj Housing Finance
- Yechury's mortal remains in CPI office: Sonia, Sisodia, Pawar pay last tribute
- Came to meet as your 'didi': Mamata on 'last attempt' to resolve doctors crisis
- 'Three families destroyed ... ': PM Modi attacks Cong-PDP-NC in J&K' Doda
- People will now elect judges in Mexico: Mistake or a masterstroke?
- Sexual harassment probe opened against SAP CTO: What the company said
- Watch: PM Modi welcomes birth of calf 'Deepjyoti' at residence
- Army man demands sexual favours to pass student in NCC test
Other Times Group News Sites
The Economic TimesHindi Economic TimesNavbharat TimesMaharashtra TimesVijaya KarnatakaTelugu SamayamTamil SamayamMalayalam SamayamI am GujaratTimesPointsIndiatimesBrand CapitalEducation TimesTimes FoodMumbai MirrorBangalore MirrorMX PlayerHindi PodcastPopular Categories
HeadlinesSports NewsBusiness NewsIndia NewsWorld NewsBollywood NewsHealth+ TipsIndian TV ShowsCelebrity PhotosTechnology NewsHot on the Web
Kitchen Sponge Side EffectsMalaika Arora Father Death News Live UpdateStree 2 CollectionVitamin B 12Weight GainVitaminsKanjeevaram SariNasaSister ShivaniKaun Banega Crorepati 16Top Trends
Moin KhanShreyas IyerIND vs PAK Hockey LiveTravis KelceVande MetroAadhaar Card UpdateTech LayoffsShannon SharpeIND vs PAKAsian Champions LiveKristina JoksimovicVinesh PhogatDalit Boycott KarnatakaWWE Smackdown ResultsHaitian Immigrant OhioArvind KejriwalPM ModiLive Cricket ScoreTrending Topics
Korean TeaSector 36 ReviewGreen Apple BenefitsPriyanka Chopra TattooKottukkaali OTT ReleaseNational Parks In IndiaGhaziabad Juice SellerGOAT CollectionVikas Sethi DeathMalayalam ProducersIndia's Best Dancer 4Simi GarewalDilli BabuIndian National ParksLaung BenefitsVikas SethiApple iPhone 16Donald TrumpAadhar Card Update By Sept 14Wordle AnswerLiving and entertainment
ETimesTravel DestinationsCricbuzz.comTVLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTimes PrimeWhats HotServices
CouponDuniaTechGigTimesJobsBollywood NewsTimes MobileGadgetsCareersColombiaLatest News
Kaun Banega Crorepati 16: Can you guess the answer for this Rs 3,20,000 question on Navy, which contestant Naman Jain incorrectly answered?Exclusive - Has Palak Sindhwani aka Sonu from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah breached her contract; Neela Film Productions to issue a legal notice to the actress?Ford drives into India for 3rd timePIL: Publicise laws, penalties to curb crimes against womenGrowth potential 7.5% or more: RBI governorHindus take to Bangladesh streets to stop attacks and demand justiceE-commerce speeds up to catch up with Quick commerce'Will take digital public infrastructure stack to 50 nations'Justin Timberlake faces DWI charges: Court-ordered apology, fine and community serviceDonald Trump on another debate with Kamala Harris: 'Maybe, if I got in the right mood ... 'Border Gavaskar Trophy: When Ricky Ponting's on-air analysis of Prithvi Shaw turned into match realitySebi gives clean chit to NSE, ex-executives in co-location caseRusty or Ready? Falcons' Cousins Falls Flat in $180M NFL DebutEdible oil import duty hiked by 20%Lucky houseplants for each Zodiac, as per a renowned astrologerOnam is a time when everyone comes together to celebrate: Manju Warrier'Calling all Swifties for Trump': Donald's new campaign merch imitates Eras Tour shirtsTovino on training for Kalaripayattu in ‘ARM’: I practiced every single day, even if I had a hectic day on setCopyright © 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication ServiceTag » Why Are Hindu Gods Blue
-
Can Science Explain Blue Skin Of Lord Krishna? - Down To Earth
-
Why Avatars Of Hindu Gods Are Shown As Having Blue Color?
-
Why Are Hindu Gods Portrayed Blue In Colour? - Quora
-
Why Hindu Gods Are Shown As Having A Blue Colour? - EAstroHelp
-
Why Do Hindu Gods Have Blue Skin?
-
Why Is Krishna Blue In Color? - Isha Foundation
-
Why Are Indian Gods Blue | History Forum - Historum
-
Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior - Brooklyn Museum
-
Dark Is Divine: What Colour Are Indian Gods And Goddesses? - BBC
-
Why Hindu Gods-(Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu) Are Shown Blue In Color?
-
Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior - Frist Art Museum
-
Understanding Divine “blueness” In South Asia - Smarthistory
-
Why Rama Kali Shiva & Krishna Are Portrayed In Blue Skin.