Designer Suneet Varma in Kamasutra row

Famous Indian fashion designer Suneet Varma has triggered off a controversy for reportedly calling Kamasutra the most celebrated Hindu text in the world.

With reference to his 'Kamasutra' collection fashion display on July 23 at Synergy One Delhi Couture Week 2011, organised by the Fashion Design Council of India, Varma was quoted as describing Kamasutra the most celebrated Hindu text in the world.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a release in Nevada (US) on Monday, said that with this statement, Varma appeared to be bypassing the highly revered and powerful Hinduism texts of Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata (including Bhagavad-Gita), Ramayana, etc.

Zed further said that the fashion designer appeared to be making a misleading and inappropriate statement about Hinduism for his commercial agenda, which has hurt the devotees. In view of his Indian heritage, Varma should have known better about the Hindu texts.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Concepts, texts and symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed stressed.

Kamasutra, a Sanskrit text attributed to Vatsayana, is a well-known Kamasastra text, which concerns art, technique and science of kama.

Varma, whose Suneet Varma Design Private Limited is headquartered in Noida (Uttar Pradesh, India), has designed clothes for royalty, filmstars, etc, and is reportedly associated with Swarovski, BMW, Moet and Hennessey, Judith Leiber and Hewlett Packard and has done solo shows in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Davos, Dubai, Bangkok, and Jakarta.