Upset Hindus are urging Wayfair, a Boston-headquartered “One of the world's Largest home retailers”, to immediately withdraw a doormat carrying the image of Hindu deity Bhagwan Ganesh, calling it highly inappropriate.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was shocking to visualise that Wayfair, for its mercantile greed, was apparently persuading the world to scrub/wipe their shoes to remove dirt, dust and mud before entering a door over the image of Bhagwan Ganesh, whom Hindus worship.

Hindu deity Bhagwan Ganesh, whose image was depicted on a doormat sold on the Wayfair website, is highly revered in Hinduism and worshipped in temples and home shrines. It is not meant for trapping allergens, debris, dirt, dust, grit, moisture, mud, odour, sand; drying shoe soles; providing comfort underfoot; scraping debris off footwear soles; softening noise; acting as a pet paw cleaner; putting one’s feet/shoes on for cleaning or sweeping on; as was the case here. Inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay. It hurts the devotees, Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated.

Rajan Zed also urged Wayfair co-chairmen and co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine to offer a formal apology and withdraw the  Ganesh Doormat.

Hinduism is the oldest and third-largest religion of the world with about 1.3 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed noted.

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialisation of Hindu deities is disturbing to the Hindus. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else, if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at trivialising it hurt the followers, Zed added.

In Hinduism, Bhagwan Ganesh is worshipped as a deity of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Net revenue of Wayfair, whose tagline is "the destination for all things home", was $12.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025. Since its inception in 2002, Wayfair is home to over 40 million products, operates 17 fulfilment and 38 delivery centres across the USA, Canada, United Kingdom. It plans to open its 10th Wayfair store in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in 2028. Ganesh Door Mat (which “features a stunning depiction of Ganesh, the revered Hindu deity”) was priced at $50.99 on the Wayfair website.