The players can take control of many Hindu gods in new online video game SMITE being created by a Georgia, USA. A Hindu organization has protested an Alpharetta online game developer’s use of Hindu gods in the game.

Rajan Zed, Hindu leader and President of the Universal Society of Hinduism in a statement in Nevada (USA), labored Alpharetta game developer Hi-Rez Studios to promptly remove the all Hindu gods from the game as it trivialized the highly revered deities of Hinduism.

Online video game SMITE is described as a free to play, online battlefield between different gods. Online players choose from an assortment of mythical gods, join session-based arena combat, and use way powers and team tactics against other web player controlled gods and non-player controlled minions. It runs on the Unreal three engine, and is presently in Beta.

Alpharetta game developer Hi-Rez Studios asked to stop using Hindu gods / SMITE used Hindu gods as combat tools

One of Hindu gods called Kali, has been portrayed as a sexy female antagonist, holding sharp blades and wearing a rather vicious grin. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said that Hindus people are not exactly the violent type. And that is the basis of Hindu leader Zed’s argument.

President of the Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed called controlling and manipulating goddess Kali and other Hindu deities with a joystick/ button/keyboard/mouse denigrated them and devotees’ faith. The Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not meant to be reduced to just a character in a video game to be used in combat in the web battleground.

Hindus upset at online video game SMITE / Hindu deities to be used in combat battleground

It is general list of Hindu gods includes : Kali, Vamana and Agni. A miserably clad image of Hindu goddess Kali is notified on the SMITE page of the company Hi-Rez Studios website.

Hindu leader Rajan Zed wrote in a statement : ‘ The player would control the movements of goddess Kali and other Hindu deities, while in reality the devotees put the destinies of themselves in the hands of their deities. Reimagining Hindu scriptures and deities for commercial or other agenda is not okay as it hurts the devotees. ‘

Todd Harris – Hi-Rez Studios chief operating officer has commented that online video game SMITE containes deities inspired from a different and ever expanding set of pantheons comprising Greek, Chinese, Egyptian, and Norse. Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest and largest traditions. That’s why it provides inspiration toward Hindu gods in the SMITE online game. In fact, given Hinduism’s concept of a single truth with multiple physical manifestations one could validly interpret all the gods within SMITE to be Hindu. And all gods outside of SMITE as well. ‘ Anyway, going forward SMITE will include even more deities, not fewer. ‘ he added.

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