Hindu “Om” tattoos seem to be getting popular among Hollywood celebrities and American actress-singer Vanessa Hudgens, 22, is the latest celebrity to ink one. Accompanied by another Hollywood star Ashley Tisdale (Aliens in the Attic), 26, Hudgens (High School Musical) reportedly got “Om” inked on the back of her hands by popular tattoo artist “Bang Bang” in Manhattan (New York, USA) recently.
Famous American singer-actress Miley Cyrus, who reportedly already had ‘karma’ tattooed on her right index finger, recently got a new tattoo of Hindu religious symbol “Om” on her right wrist.
There seems to be a fascination for tattoos depicting things Hindu among celebrities, and tattoo parlor owners are reportedly seeing a surge of interest in Hindu deities, concepts, and Sanskrit verses. “Om” seems to be the most popular of such tattoos, followed by shlokas (verses) from ancient Hindu scriptures.
Welcoming interest of Hudgens, Cyrus, and other celebrities in “Om” and other concepts/symbols of Hinduism, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged them to go beyond the fashion statement and explore the rich philosophicalthought which Hinduism offered. He or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide the Hinduismresources helpful in their exploration and comprehensive understanding of Hinduism, Zed said.
Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further stated that Hollywood celebrities needed to have more patience and go beyond the superficial because Hinduism concepts evolved over thousands of years and needed deep study. Zed urged Hudgens to visit a nearby Hindu temple to have firsthand experience of Hinduism.
Some of the celebrities who sport Sanskrit/Hindu tattoos reportedly include Grammy winnersinger-model Rihanna, MTV winner actress Jessica Alba (Sin City), musician Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), singer-actress Brandy Norwood (Moesha), dancer-singer Kimberly Wyatt (Pussycat Dolls), actress-singer Alyssa Milano (Who’s the Boss), footballer David Beckham,Golden Globe winner actress Gillian Anderson (The X Files), British footballer Theo Walcott, etc.
“Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, is used in Hinduism to introduce and conclude religious work. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language, the language of the gods. Tattoos go back in history to at least since Neolithic times.