Holy Shit

India's eastern state of Orissa has lodged a protest with the US government seeking action against a California-based website for hurting religious sentiments of people by selling undergarments with images of Hindu gods, a newspaper has reported. Hindu priests and religious groups had slammed the website, cafepress.com, for selling undergarments embellished with faces of several gods and goddesses, including the presiding deities of Jagannath temple, considered among the most sacred Hindu temples in India.

Besides writing to the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, the state authorities also wrote to the federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil urging him to take up the issue with the US government, the Times of India daily reported. Harichandan wrote that Orissa was "deeply shocked and concerned over the unscrupulous means of advertisement" for commercial gains and demanded that the website apologize immediately.

The Orissa police has also registered a case of hurting religious sentiments after a Hindu organization lodged a complaint in the temple city of Puri where the Jagannath temple is situated. The newspaper also quoted lawyers saying that the website tried to insult India as a nation by displaying the Indian flag, and Indian leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru on underwear.