Controversy over Heidi Klum’s goddess Kali Halloween attire
November 4th, 2008 - 2:31 pm ICT by IANS ( 3 comments )
New York, Nov 4 (IANS) Supermodel Heidi Klum has stirred a controversy by dressing up as Hindu goddess Kali for a Halloween party, with some Hindus seeking an apology from her and others asserting that she did nothing objectionable.The Halloween party here was thrown by Klum and attended by many celebrities. The German celebrity wore a goddess Kali costume while her husband, singer Seal, dressed up as Angulimaal - an Indian mythical character who used to chop off people’s fingers and wear them as a necklace.
Klum, who was in India last year along with Seal, told reporters at her annual bash that the idea of dressing up like goddess Kali was that of her secretary.
“My husband and I were in India last year, so she said, ‘Why don’t you do an Indian goddess? Like a scary Indian goddess?’ And I said, ‘Ok’,” Klum was quoted as saying by USMagazine.com.
After this, her secretary did some Google search and showed her a picture of goddess Kali.
“I loved it because she’s so mean and killed all these different people and had fingers hanging off her and little shrunken heads everywhere,” Klum said.
Nevada-based Hindu priest Rajan Zed, in a statement issued Monday, demanded the supermodel tender a public apology for dressing up as goddess Kali.
“Goddess Kali is highly revered in Hinduism. She is meant to be worshipped in temples and not to be used in clubs for publicity stunts or thrown around loosely for dramatic effects,” Zed said.
However, there are others who feel otherwise. In a posting on the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) online forum, Kirit Desai said: “It is in good taste, if we could tune it in properly.”
In another post, Ashish Dimri said: “We all know Heidi and Seal are fascinated by Hinduism. Maybe she did not know implication of her innocent act.”
Shamita Dasgupta said Heidi’s dress reminded her about the Bengali tradition in which adults and kids dress up as deities, including goddess Kali and parade around.
“This shouldn’t pose a problem,” she said.
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Tags: google search, halloween attire, heidi klum, hindu goddess, hindu priest, public apology, publicity stunts, south asian journalists, south asian journalists association, supermodel heidi klum
Posted in World |
November 4th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
well may be she dont know the power and symbol of Maa Kaali. But she should apologise,bcoz now she is aware of what she has done and she or person like her would not repeat this again. It hurts many people
November 11th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
wat does she mean by mean and all that?????wen will these morons learn???
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
It would’ve been nice if she had actually educated herself about who kali ma is and what she stands for, and the symbolic value of what sorrounds her, but wearing it just cause it is scary doesn’t seem that great of a reson, and when there is sakthi there should be lord shiva, seal should’ve dressed as shiva instead. I don’t know whether it take this as offence as a hindu, but i admit i WAS mad when i saw the picture and the fact she was dressed up for halloween, i’m not quite sure why.
Kali ma destroyed the bad.
She is important to all hindus.
I would’ve not gotten mad if she ad dressed up as another goddess, but the fact that she dressed up as kali ma, and cause she seems SCARY, seems to hint that it was a way to make fun