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Why Bengaluru-based painting seller is under fire on social media on Janmashtami
A Bengaluru-based firm faced severe backlash on the internet for selling an “obscene” painting of Lord Krishna, which emerged on an e-commerce site on Krishna Janmashtami.
A Bengaluru-based organisation - that makes paintings among other stuff - has come under fire on social media. Amid Janmashtami celebrations across the country, the seller has been accused of obscenity for a painting showing the Hindu god.
Inkologie sells its products on Amazon, which include mugs, cards and other collectibles. It sells paintings and posters too. Some photos of a painting, which prompted strong reactions, were shared by a Twitter user that calls itself "Banarasi Kanya". “Hi @amazonIN it's high time you check what you are selling. Else next time you won't have your customers here. This seller is Inkologie, a Bengaluru based organization,” the post read.
The user also tagged the Bengaluru Police; Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya was also tagged along in a tweet:“@BlrCityPolice Inkologie has put this obscene painting on sale on Amazon. Kindly check this tweet and see if it's not hurting Hindu sentiments. Inkologie office is in Bengaluru. @CharuPragya @Tejasvi_Surya please see this.”
The post had more than 4,380 likes and over 3000 retweets at the time that this report was published.
Twitter has since then been flooded with comments by users. While some were outraged, others reacted differently. Many also shared screenshots of their conversations with Amazon customer care, asking for the paintings to be removed. “I have a slightly different point of view. Sex is taboo not just in Hinduism but in general. Nobody knows why it's considered bad. It has pleasure and is responsible for procreation. Krishna making love should not be viewed in a negative connotation,” one user wrote.
Meanwhile, another disagreed, saying, “There is a deliberate attempt to hurt Hindu sentiments, by creating and selling obscene and vulgar paintings of Hindu deities. Kindly take appropriate action.”
However, a Twitter user shared the link of the Philadelphia Museum of Art website, which had the same painting in a section, and said, “Pretty sure this is not an original by Inkologie. It's a kangra style painting, an 18th century illustration of verses from Geeta Govinda by Jayadeva, a poet from Odisha from the 12th century.”
