Lord Ganesha-printed slippers, underwear on Walmart website sparks social media outrage

Walmart faced severe backlash from the Hindu community in the US after people discovered it was selling slippers, undergarments, swimsuits and several other things with prints of Lord Ganesha on them.

Photos of these items have now gone viral on social media. Several users accused the retail giant of cultural ignorance and hurting religious sentiments. Demands were also made to take off the items from the shelf.



After the backlash, several items, including slippers, socks, and underwear, were taken off the site but others, such as the Ganesha printed swimsuits continued to be available for sale.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), an organisation for the rights of Hindu-Americans criticised the "disrespectful misuse of Hindu imagery on slippers and bathing suits".

Dear @walmarthelp: @HinduAmerican has written directly to @Walmart regarding the disrespectful misuse of Hindu imagery on slippers & bathing suits. Ganesha is a deity worshipped by more than a billion followers of Dharma religions around the world as the remover of obstacles. We ask that these disrespectful items be immediately discontinued for sale. We are ready to dialogue as to commercial use of Hindu images."


Other social media users also called out Walmart for Lord Ganesha prints on products.