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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00021 Jan 2004

 
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Open Letter to Trustees of the Walters Art gallery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA:
 
I request devotees of Ganes'a worldwide, to contact and/or write to the 
Trustees of Water Art Galley museum authorities to withdraw their book about 
Asian Art and/or expunge the derogatory remarks made in the book which hurt the 
sentiments of Hindu worldwide:

"Asian Art in The Walters Art Gallery: A Selection," by Hiram W.
Woodward, Jr. Publisher: The Trustees of The Walters Art Gallery, 600 North 
Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201; Excerpts from Page 20:"Ganesa, is a 
son of the great god Siva, and many of his abilities are comic or absurd 
extensions of the lofty  dichotomies of his father...Ganesa's potbelly and his 
childlike love for sweets mock Siva's practice of austerities, and his limp 
trunk will forever be a poor match for Siva's erect phallus."

It appears that, Hiram W. Woodword, the author and The Trustees of the Walters 
Art Gallery, who are the publishers, are basing these obnoxious anti-Hindu 
comments on the 'academic' work of Prof.Courtright (Emory University) recently 
withdrawn from circulation by Motilal Banarsidass.

The Art Gallery trustees should be aware that Ganes'a is venerated not only in 
India but also in many other parts of the world. Ganes'a is a cultural icon, 
for example in Indonesia where Ganes'a adorns the 20000 rupiah currency note 
(the obverse of the note shows a classroom with children) and Ganes'a icon 
adorns the entrance of Bangkok Institute of Technology as a divinity of 
education, and in Thailand, Ganes'a is venerated in Buddha Dhamma.

Such derogatory comments about divinities, Ganes'a and S'iva, in a public 
museum hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindu worldwide and damages the image 
of the Waters Art Gallery which should be an institution for objective public 
display of art from many parts of the world. The damage caused to the psyche of 
the students, children and parents alike who visit the Art Gallery with such 
unauthenticated and baseless comments is incalculable. Art Gallery is obligated 
to the world citizens to present the art forms as ennobling representations of 
human thought and should not be presented to demean Hindu dharma or hurt the 
sentiments of many people of the world who hold Ganes'a in great adoration and 
devotion. 

The Art Gallery should not only offer a public apology to all Hindu and all 
world citizens who venerate Ganes'a and S'iva, but also compensate for the 
damage caused by donating to the promotion of Hindu dharma.

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman kalyan97@xxxxxxxxx Sarasvati Research Centre, Chennai, 
India 600015

4 January 2004

Walter Art Gallery
600 North Charles Street Baltimore, MD
Phone: 410-547-9000.
Gary Vikan is Museum Director.
http://www.artcom.com/museums/vs/sz/21201-51.htm


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