News East West
NEW YORK: American singer Selena Gomez has a new tattoo on her left upper thigh. And the new tattoo is the sacred Hindu word `Om’.
The 23-year-old singer’s new tattoo was revealed on Friday when she emerged in her bathing suit from the ocean in Miami.
Selena, who is a Christian, has tattoos on other parts of her body. She has 76 tattooed on her neck. Then she has ‘God Who Strengthens Me’ on her left hip. And her right wrist has the words “love yourself first’’ in the Arabic language.
But her latest tattoo `Om’ will definitely offend Hindus for whom this word is not only a spiritual symbol but also the universal chant for deep meditation. They consider Om to be the cosmic sound.
Nevada-based American Indian Hindu leader Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, has taken Selena to task for her “Om” tattoo on her upper left thigh. He has called the tattoo highly “irreverent and disrespectful” towards Hindus.
Zed said such trivialization of “Om” was upsetting to Hindus. It was highly inappropriate for Selena to place such revered and sacred symbol of Hinduism with high religious significance on her thigh, according to Zed.
He said Selena has shown `insensitive’ towards Hindu feelings in the past, particularly during her April 2013 debut performance of “Come & Get It” at the MTV Awards ceremony in California when she sported a `bindi.’
Zed said Hollywood icons must first understand Hinduism before they use its symbols which have sanctity and spirituality attached to them. Casual flirting with Hindu spiritual doctrines and revered symbols will hurt the Hindus.
“If Selena or other entertainers needed any assistance about Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help,’’ Zed added.
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