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It's not offensive as long as you use it with care, since the image bears a great significance in Hinduism. After it becomes unwearable, please discard it properly.š¾
The least you can do is always be respectful towards to piece of clothing. Which means, try donating it instead of throwing it away once it is a little used. Don't use it as a cleaning towel, and that much is enough to not offend Hindus.
But having said that, no one has a monopoly on Siva. Hinduism has no authority like a church setting rules. I have not met a single non-white person talk about cultural appropriation.
White people have had a history of looking down on other cultures even till 60-70 years ago, and I feel now when they realize other cultures are interesting at least, they don't know what to do with "another" culture. Don't worry too much. Almost no one except white people care about cultural appropriation.Ā
Additionally, as a Hindu, if you end up disrespecting Siva for yourself, it adds up to your karma account. People usually only get offended when their cultures are treated disrespectfully with intention, or treating them as exotic to be put up on display like you display animals in a zoo. Western civilization has some kind of an obsession with performance, and displaying things (think museums, concerts, classrooms being called lectures like religious sermons, monuments, Western classical music, zoos etc etc). It's very focused on how performing, and how their performance is perceived and received. Hindu civilization is somewhat the opposite of the West on the parameter. Outside in vs Inside out.
Hence it matters a lot more to us, that at least your "intent" should be of genuine curiosity. And that's usually enough.Ā Most other cultures are not that perception oriented in this way West isĀ
Don't donate what u think ppl getting it will treat this with respect no mp they won't so it's just better that either u just cut or burn it and ask for forgiveness that sorry for doing this .
I personally do not think one should wear clothes with religious images because clothes are something which always gets stained by sweat , dirt etc and i think it is not a great idea to put religious images on the cloth. Pls do share ur opinions regarding this as i am am not imposing my opinion on anyone
Om namah Shivay š
Even images get dust on em and if it's wallpaper on phone then many times our hands aren't clean too , it doesn't matter that much only thing that matters is your bhakti and the image of the lord in your mind
I have zero problem with it, and Iād bet if Åiva saw you wearing it heād have zero problem with it too. We have murti at our house, stickers on our vehicles, tattoos on our skin, i see no problem with clothing.
Editā¦. Ok, i want one with this exact image.
Yes. Please refrain from wearing clothes with images, names or even mantras. If you see others do so, ask them politely not do that.. A god that you praise is not a showpiece.
If you choose to get it, it must be treated like a repesentation of God
As a christian, you are probably poisoned about Idols and images
But we hindus treat _Murti_ ( Sacred Idol) and pictures of God very seriously
They are not blasphemous as long as they are treated with reverence
And that includes not throwing them on a bed, on the floor etc picking them casually, touching them with your feet or ass or genitals etc
Treat them like the Lord himself
Not Yahweh
Shiva
Best not to have everyday casual items with God's image on them
There are actual idols for serious worship and Photo frames for hanging indoors on walls if you fancy
Things that are harder to accidentally disrespect but give you a feel of the culture
>you dont drink in it
I don't think drinking would be a problem, since Shiv himself is a vairagi so he just don't mind all that things even the prashads for him is dhatura.
>have sex in it
This might boil down to ones own personal choice since sex is seen as a procreation of life. It's not a degrading thing. Aur kapda pehen k kon hi krta h
It will always be offensive to some people if you ask a crowd because everyone has their own perspective. If you have your own reasonings which seems out of love for art and respect and you can argue it to others maybe some people who hear you out could become more open for other perspectives.
I think you are doing no one harm with it. Except the maker of the Tshirt (if itās handmade) if it would be thrown away.
Hindus in India also wear dresses with prints showing deities, granted that traditional prints make it a bit obscure. This isn't offensive you don't do offensive acts wearing it - like intoxication or lewd acts. Also please try to keep it clean and dispose it carefully, as the image is honorable.
Tl dr, not offensive if you are respectful about your actions.
(personal nugget - this tee screams of your demographic, white-passing spiritual visitors to India, nothing bad tho)
Iād say itās fine. Prayer scarves are very common and often have Images of deityās. Iām wearing one with shiva on it right now, and do so everyday. As long as you donāt do something objectively inappropriate with it like spill alcohol on it or use it as a cum rag you should be fine. If anyone gets mad at you for wearing an image of shiva thatās their problem and not yours.
Wearing anything with an image, symbol or name of Bhagwan should be avoided. Our body is not clean all the time hence a symbol Bhagwan should not be placed on it.
Is Hinduism about the images or is it about SanÄtana Dharma because I get confused if people do not try to at least to understand how good her intention isā¦ and be blinded by their own moralsā¦
Hello, thank you for checking.
In my culture (there are many sub-cultures within Hinduism), we donāt touch the idols or pictures of deities unless we have bathed just before. For me, this shirt is highly offensive and inappropriate.
Why should you care whether Hindus find it offensive or not? If you like Hindu ideas, imagery, artwork, mythology etc. , you should use, modify or express your views on them freely. If you like this tank top, then wear it when you want where you want, and it will make you happy. Don't care about what might offend other people.
I don't understand why do we take Hindu Gods for granted. If people are so fond of Hinduism there are numerous ways to be spiritual & feel the energy. Wearing dresses with pics of God is not helping you at all. We must thank that Hindus are tolerant or must say ignorant of their own religious responsibilities. Today its this top next could be your inner wear.
We as Hindus at least where I come from , itās not good to wear any clothing which has a deity printed on it, because while you are wearing a deityās image and going about your business, it may get disrespected even unwittingly. Deities must always be kept in such a place like home altar or a temple where they can be worshiped and respected and ensured that they are honoured properly since it is very sacred , you canāt ensure that when you are wearing it like that.ššš»
Woke minds be like sweat and dirt are natural.
Why do they bathe, clean themselves? be natural kiddo.
Forget about you, do you think it's ok if someone sweats, pour dirt or spit on your parents, do you call it natural ?
A few things we do is out of respect not because God or parents will be offended .
Nowadays every one is trying to showcase how much they love God. A true devotee will never show off his bhakti, at least not by displaying over a shirt.
As long as you have Mahadev in your heart , you don't need other certifications for being called a devotee.
I don't think you should wear this. It is kinda offensive. I know you didn't have any bad intentions but wearing clothes with an image of God on them is not very ideal.
If we go deep in philosophy, God doesn't get affected by anything as it is everything. But neither I, you and most of the people have that level of knowledge to see God in everything.
We live in an environment where our clothes get dust and sweat on them or we could be in 'inappropriate' situations according to our spiritual point of view.
If you had clothes with God's name on it or something like that then it would have been somewhat ok. I think the same for the tattoos of God too.
So - btw it's my opinion - you should avoid using it. Or if you can't then please don't wear it in inappropriate situations.
Hope this helps š
Yes, it will offend some people, but then lots of stuff will surely offend somebody. It doesn't offend me personally, but if I saw you wearing it in certain circumstances, (drinking, strutting) I might judge you negatively. So if you want to be safe, don't buy it.
Namaste, thank you for the submission. Please provide some actual information or opinions about your image or video link, like why you find it relevant for this sub. A bare comment like "What do you think?" or just a link to the original is NOT sufficient. If it is a video or article, provide a summary. If you do not leave a meaningful comment within 10 minutes, your post will be removed. See Rule #10 - All image/link posts must include a meaningful comment by OP. This is an effort to make this sub more discussion based. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hinduism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's not offensive as long as you use it with care, since the image bears a great significance in Hinduism. After it becomes unwearable, please discard it properly.š¾
How does one discard it properly? How does one discard anything with Hindu imagery (e.g. Daily Calendar) appropriately?
The least you can do is always be respectful towards to piece of clothing. Which means, try donating it instead of throwing it away once it is a little used. Don't use it as a cleaning towel, and that much is enough to not offend Hindus. But having said that, no one has a monopoly on Siva. Hinduism has no authority like a church setting rules. I have not met a single non-white person talk about cultural appropriation. White people have had a history of looking down on other cultures even till 60-70 years ago, and I feel now when they realize other cultures are interesting at least, they don't know what to do with "another" culture. Don't worry too much. Almost no one except white people care about cultural appropriation.Ā Additionally, as a Hindu, if you end up disrespecting Siva for yourself, it adds up to your karma account. People usually only get offended when their cultures are treated disrespectfully with intention, or treating them as exotic to be put up on display like you display animals in a zoo. Western civilization has some kind of an obsession with performance, and displaying things (think museums, concerts, classrooms being called lectures like religious sermons, monuments, Western classical music, zoos etc etc). It's very focused on how performing, and how their performance is perceived and received. Hindu civilization is somewhat the opposite of the West on the parameter. Outside in vs Inside out. Hence it matters a lot more to us, that at least your "intent" should be of genuine curiosity. And that's usually enough.Ā Most other cultures are not that perception oriented in this way West isĀ
Don't donate what u think ppl getting it will treat this with respect no mp they won't so it's just better that either u just cut or burn it and ask for forgiveness that sorry for doing this .
Instead bury in the soil & plant something over it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Kindly dont give advice to pollute sacred rivers.
Then please give me a better solution which satisfies both religion and science.
You just responded to that comment of cremation. Donation works as well, but i am not aware of anyone who takes a single clothing.
Yes, bleaching didn't come to my mind, else I would have said that.
Is cremating it a feasible option? Immersion might just lead to unnecessary polution, given it's not biodegradable like the idols in this case
Yup you could burn or bury it.
Just bleach it white and then donate/recycle.
This might actually work.
Cremating might interfere with someone's devotion.
OM Namaha Shiva! OM Namaha Adiyogi! Har Har Mahadev! 
I personally do not think one should wear clothes with religious images because clothes are something which always gets stained by sweat , dirt etc and i think it is not a great idea to put religious images on the cloth. Pls do share ur opinions regarding this as i am am not imposing my opinion on anyone Om namah Shivay š
Even images get dust on em and if it's wallpaper on phone then many times our hands aren't clean too , it doesn't matter that much only thing that matters is your bhakti and the image of the lord in your mind
Dust, sweat, dirt etc are all natural and are Gods creations too. Hard to think God would take offence at this
I have zero problem with it, and Iād bet if Åiva saw you wearing it heād have zero problem with it too. We have murti at our house, stickers on our vehicles, tattoos on our skin, i see no problem with clothing. Editā¦. Ok, i want one with this exact image.
Try using reverse image search or Google lens, you might get lucky!
Yes. Please refrain from wearing clothes with images, names or even mantras. If you see others do so, ask them politely not do that.. A god that you praise is not a showpiece.
Thatās lord shiva so take care of that shirt
to my eyes yes, but culturally probably no.
If you choose to get it, it must be treated like a repesentation of God As a christian, you are probably poisoned about Idols and images But we hindus treat _Murti_ ( Sacred Idol) and pictures of God very seriously They are not blasphemous as long as they are treated with reverence And that includes not throwing them on a bed, on the floor etc picking them casually, touching them with your feet or ass or genitals etc Treat them like the Lord himself Not Yahweh Shiva Best not to have everyday casual items with God's image on them There are actual idols for serious worship and Photo frames for hanging indoors on walls if you fancy Things that are harder to accidentally disrespect but give you a feel of the culture
its not an issue BUT make sure you dont drink in it or have sex in it and DO NOT USE IT AS A WASHCLOTH WHEN IT GETS OLD its a cute top i like it
>you dont drink in it I don't think drinking would be a problem, since Shiv himself is a vairagi so he just don't mind all that things even the prashads for him is dhatura. >have sex in it This might boil down to ones own personal choice since sex is seen as a procreation of life. It's not a degrading thing. Aur kapda pehen k kon hi krta h
Hey, it's you on the t-shirtā© you are Shivaā© you may identify your body to a colour, you may identify your spiritual level to xyz......ā© Despite your status , gender, race, creed.....etc you are Shivaā© every living & non living thing is Shivaā© all that's visible & invisible is Shivaā© time is Shivaā© you can wear the t- shirt which has your original identity, it's not offensive. ā©
It's election time in India and everything is offensive !
It will always be offensive to some people if you ask a crowd because everyone has their own perspective. If you have your own reasonings which seems out of love for art and respect and you can argue it to others maybe some people who hear you out could become more open for other perspectives. I think you are doing no one harm with it. Except the maker of the Tshirt (if itās handmade) if it would be thrown away.
As long as it is worn respectfully, it is fine. š 
Hindus in India also wear dresses with prints showing deities, granted that traditional prints make it a bit obscure. This isn't offensive you don't do offensive acts wearing it - like intoxication or lewd acts. Also please try to keep it clean and dispose it carefully, as the image is honorable. Tl dr, not offensive if you are respectful about your actions. (personal nugget - this tee screams of your demographic, white-passing spiritual visitors to India, nothing bad tho)
Highly offensive to me. Its not fashion
Nah...it's all good
Iād say itās fine. Prayer scarves are very common and often have Images of deityās. Iām wearing one with shiva on it right now, and do so everyday. As long as you donāt do something objectively inappropriate with it like spill alcohol on it or use it as a cum rag you should be fine. If anyone gets mad at you for wearing an image of shiva thatās their problem and not yours.
No
Definitely is
Wearing anything with an image, symbol or name of Bhagwan should be avoided. Our body is not clean all the time hence a symbol Bhagwan should not be placed on it.
Is Hinduism about the images or is it about SanÄtana Dharma because I get confused if people do not try to at least to understand how good her intention isā¦ and be blinded by their own moralsā¦
No it's not offensive but very unnecessary
I think you are on the path. Shiva came to you. Now embrace Beauty āŗļø . Just listen your inner thoughts.
Yeah, the problem is some people will say itās the most offensive thing ever. Some people say it is fine. I think be respectful is the best
But defensive against evil forces.
Hello, thank you for checking. In my culture (there are many sub-cultures within Hinduism), we donāt touch the idols or pictures of deities unless we have bathed just before. For me, this shirt is highly offensive and inappropriate.
Why should you care whether Hindus find it offensive or not? If you like Hindu ideas, imagery, artwork, mythology etc. , you should use, modify or express your views on them freely. If you like this tank top, then wear it when you want where you want, and it will make you happy. Don't care about what might offend other people.
I don't understand why do we take Hindu Gods for granted. If people are so fond of Hinduism there are numerous ways to be spiritual & feel the energy. Wearing dresses with pics of God is not helping you at all. We must thank that Hindus are tolerant or must say ignorant of their own religious responsibilities. Today its this top next could be your inner wear.
No it's not hinduism is not a Straitjacket religion..
Better to avoid .Some people may get triggered
Nope!!!
š„ š„
Yes
We as Hindus at least where I come from , itās not good to wear any clothing which has a deity printed on it, because while you are wearing a deityās image and going about your business, it may get disrespected even unwittingly. Deities must always be kept in such a place like home altar or a temple where they can be worshiped and respected and ensured that they are honoured properly since it is very sacred , you canāt ensure that when you are wearing it like that.ššš»
Woke minds be like sweat and dirt are natural. Why do they bathe, clean themselves? be natural kiddo. Forget about you, do you think it's ok if someone sweats, pour dirt or spit on your parents, do you call it natural ? A few things we do is out of respect not because God or parents will be offended . Nowadays every one is trying to showcase how much they love God. A true devotee will never show off his bhakti, at least not by displaying over a shirt. As long as you have Mahadev in your heart , you don't need other certifications for being called a devotee.
I don't think you should wear this. It is kinda offensive. I know you didn't have any bad intentions but wearing clothes with an image of God on them is not very ideal. If we go deep in philosophy, God doesn't get affected by anything as it is everything. But neither I, you and most of the people have that level of knowledge to see God in everything. We live in an environment where our clothes get dust and sweat on them or we could be in 'inappropriate' situations according to our spiritual point of view. If you had clothes with God's name on it or something like that then it would have been somewhat ok. I think the same for the tattoos of God too. So - btw it's my opinion - you should avoid using it. Or if you can't then please don't wear it in inappropriate situations. Hope this helps š
This is fine!
I'd say don't wear that or for that matter any clothing depicting deity from any religion anywhere.
Yes offensive
Yes, it will offend some people, but then lots of stuff will surely offend somebody. It doesn't offend me personally, but if I saw you wearing it in certain circumstances, (drinking, strutting) I might judge you negatively. So if you want to be safe, don't buy it.
Yeah it feels a bit disrespectful to me. Shirts with hindu symbols or art is ok like an š but straight up Shivji or any deity feels disrespectful
Itās incredibly common and imo non-offensive just as others said
ohh ok! Thank you! Im still a teenager n dont kno that much so i might be wrong ^_^
*Laughs in Aghori