Divine gizmos gain worldwide popularity

The world’s most exclusive design houses are offering limited editions of Ganeshas, Lakshmis and other deities at awesome prices to newly religious Hindus and international collectors. They are making collectibles in pure gold, crystal and porcelain.

IT would not be an exaggeration to say that Hinduism and Hindu deities are gaining a new and wider popularity in this age of globalisation. Otherwise, why would internationally famous design houses like Daum, Lladro, Diviniti, Linea, Lalique and Baccarat make Ganesha icons to attract collectors all over the world?

"Spiritualism has brought about a huge renaissance worldwide. Mindless violence, back-breaking competition, depression and the stress generated by the fear of failure are driving people to extremes," says one dealer of hi-end collectibles, "Also, the world over, religious fundamentalism and its dangers have drawn people to spiritualism and culture. People everywhere are fed up with violence and terrorism and yearn for peace through spiritual pursuits. Young, affluent people, who never before bothered about gods or rituals of worship, are building temples, celebrating festivals with fervour, organising seminars and workshops on spiritualism, connecting with families and friends and honouring deities, holy symbols and religious customs and traditions in their daily lives. "In some manner, western celebrities like Hollywood stars and even British royalty have given people the lead in becoming more conscious of the divine force in our lives. People like Goldie Hawn, Madonna, Richard Gere and many others have proved that spiritualism makes them stronger, more successful and helps them to realise their true potential. Millions have followed their example and become seekers of the spiritual path. This trend has gained wide popularity, specially in the West, where India is perceived as the font of spiritual knowledge and experience."

To satisfy this new and burgeoning need among the rich, several international design houses began to produce a range of religious icons in the nineties. "The very first among these was Daum, which produced a beautiful Ganesha designed by Indian and French artists," says Vinod Talreja, managing director of Viva Ganga, a company that markets the super-luxury, limited edition deities.

"We helped Daum to create a beautiful Ganesha — with only a limited edition of 100 pieces. We chose Ganesha because he is the most popular Hindu deity the world over. It is reported that even in the excavations of the Incas in South America, elephant-headed deities were found. The Ganesha cult has a large following everywhere, even in non-Hindu societies. In France, Ganesha is considered lucky and sacred by many non-Hindus and little deities called Itais are considered his guardian angels. There are thousands of Ganesha collectors not only in India but in the West too. The Daum Ganesha comes in four colours. Daum also designed an icon of Lakshmi, because this lotus-born goddess represents wealth, good fortune and abundance wherever her feet grace the earth. Lakshmi, too, is worshipped by Hindus and many others who welcome her as the goddess of good luck. We also helped Daum to create icons of Balaji and Mahavir.

At the other end of the spectrum is a brand called Diviniti, which specialises in creating religious novelties with the help of the Swiss company Elfo.ag. "My chief, N.K. Taneja, has been in the business of metals for many decades," says Sunil Mehra of Diviniti. "He had an opportunity to work with Elfo.ag, who were supplying nickel parts to NASA, in the US. He worked with the Swiss company to develop Indian deities in nickel foil-wire mesh and had them plated in 24-carat gold with a unique process. This process comes with a life-long guarantee. "We started with icons of Ganesha, Lakshmi and Balaji in 1994. The 24-carat gold-plated icons are made in Switzerland and framed in India. Today, we have literally scores of products, which represent all religions. We have the Navkar Mantra and Mahavir for Jains, the Gayatri mantra and other sacred chants, all deities of the Hindu pantheon, Islamic holy calligraphy by recognised experts, patriotic messages and symbols, tourist attractions and other gifts. We use Swarovsky crystals to embellish many of our models. We have also designed a gift which the President of India gives to important visitors to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"We have achieved great success in the span of a few years because of the excellent quality of our products and our perfect service with guarantees. Today, we have 200 outlets in India and a worldwide sale of all the icons. In the last three years, we have shown a huge growth in our sales in India and other countries. Our products enjoy great popularity in Islamic countries and in the West.

"The reasons for the success of ventures like ours are several. Firstly, millions of Hindu Indians who live away from home have become affluent enough to buy expensive icons. They also experience a deep nostalgia about their religion. Their desire to come back to their roots makes them religious. They enjoy buying deities for themselves and for gifting to their families or business colleagues. Secondly, people who are in the race to earn success and wealth are beleaguered with tensions and trauma. Their stress levels are so high that the only way they can combat these modern curses is seeking spirituality through devotion to their favourite deities. Thirdly, the new spiritual gizmos are beautifully made and bring joy to their owners. Fourthly, celebrities the world over are turning to India for spiritual succour. Hollywood stars, royalty, sport celebrities, business tycoons and scientists, artists and social activists — all are turning towards India to join the growing spiritually conscious world society of the future. Lastly, Hinduism is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance all over the world. Its ancient wisdom, its secularism and lack of control by any single religious authority is attracting millions. Today, Hinduism is perceived as a religion of knowledge and compassion. This is why even highly priced icons of deities of Hindu gods and goddesses or holy chants have become popular among people of many countries. For us, this is a booming business and we look forward to more designers coming into this market."

Thus Ganesha and Lakshmi, Balaji and Krishna are beginning their quaint journey into millions of homes over the world to spread their message of joy and to promote secularism in the newly globalised world. (VP)