Related
Translate
Advertisements *
Elsewhere
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Guyana’s Jonestown suicide site gets plaque
- Gaddafi preaches Islam to Rome beauties
- Scientology practices ‘putting people at risk’
- Recession: Muslim schools in UK under threat of closure
- Australian senator tells Parliament of widespread criminal conduct within the Church of Scientology
- When a child dies, faith is no defense
- Muslim terrorists smuggle fatwas promoting Jihad out of secure UK prisons
- Techie Holy water and geeky bishops
- Israel Charges Extremist With Attempted Murder Of Messianic Family
- 1-year prison term for man who participated in cyber attack on Church of Scientology Web sites
Chinese weavers eye Satya Sai Baba’s saffron robe
More articles on this topic: Sathya Sai BabaKATHMANDU: After dragons, exotic flora and images of the Buddha, Chinese weavers have turned to a new design for textile exports – Satya Sai Baba, one of India’s spiritual gurus.
China has entered the lucrative market of making memorabilia of the 78-year-old Baba, who has millions of followers all over the world, by churning out polyester silk with busts of the godman in orange, yellow and black.
Chinese silks and polyesters are exported to Kathmandu where they are in high demand for garments for tourists as well as the Tibetan diaspora living in the Himalayan kingdom.
Amidst bales of bright coloured cloth in traditional design, there is also the face of the Baba, smiling enigmatically against a white background.
“The Chinese have a quick eye for profit,” says Mahendra Shrestha, who has been selling strips containing four images of the Baba for Nepali Rs.100 per strip. “From the traditional designs, they are venturing into any new design they think will have a market.”
There are at least two Sai Baba centres in Kathmandu alone. However, there are none in mainland China, the nearest being in Hong Kong.
The Baba, born Satyanarayana Raju, has a sprawling ashram at Puttaparthi, in Andhra Pradesh(India).
The Baba is known by his trademark halo of shoulder-long frizzy hair, saffron robe and hand raised in the posture of conferring blessings.
Photographs, posters and calendars of the Baba are a familiar sight in India and even neighbouring Nepal where senior politicians, army chiefs and even members of the royal family are followers of the miracle man who materialises objects out of thin air and whose photographs are said to produce ‘vibhuti’ or sacred ash.
There have been cases of enterprising designers trying to cash in on the exotic and then running into trouble with devotees, like when they used images of Hindu gods on bikinis.
However, it is unlikely that the Chinese design on the Baba will create a similar uproar.
Mahendra Shrestha says: “The cloth with the Baba is thicker than that used to make dresses. It is intended to make wall hangings or, at the most, bags.”
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
 Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
 Previous entry: Catholics are fighting my church, Deya says Next entry: Iraq Sees Christian Exodus
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
