Deepavali or Diwali (depending on your lineage), the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of light triumphing over darkness, good over evil, and (surprise surprise) knowledge over ignorance. For Hindus around the world, it’s a time for reflection, giving thanks, and seeking blessings for the year ahead.
However, in recent years, Diwali has become a commercial opportunity; here in South Africa we are seeing, year-on-year, how brands as well as non-Hindu influencers dilute Diwali’s religious significance for their own gain.
As someone who has been a Hindu my entire life, and a marketing, communications and public relations (PR) professional for a significant part of my existence, two things have stood out to me lately; firstly, influencer marketing to the Indian community is deeply misunderstood by brands and influencers alike, and secondly, this idea of Diwali being ‘Indian Christmas’ needs to be abolished, with immediate effect.
While it’s understandable that brands want to capitalise on the festive spirit and reach a wider audience through influencer engagements, the way some influencers have appropriated Diwali for profit, is deeply problematic.
These influencers often focus on the superficial aspects of the festival, such as the vibrant lights, delicious food and exquisite attire, while neglecting its profound religious meaning. This can lead to a distorted representation of the festival, reducing it to a mere consumerist event.
Diwali bandwagon
This trend raises concerns about religious appropriation and the blatant disregard of traditions. When non-Hindus pretend to participate in Diwali celebrations for engagement numbers, without delving into the true meaning or respecting the sentiments of the Hindu customs, it is disrespectful, insensitive and misleading.
Since influencer marketing is a paid campaign tactic, and thus categorised as an advertisement, these brands and influencers should face consequences by South African advertising boards and councils.
Instead of merely hopping onto the proverbial ‘Diwali bandwagon’, influencers could leverage their platforms to enlighten their followers about the rich narrative of Diwali, the intricate traditions and prayers, and the profound values the festival embodies – all while crafting content that relates to a brand’s target market, strategy and brand identity.
If influencers are uncomfortable with authentically discussing the true significance of Diwali, then that influencer is simply not the right fit. Brands should prioritise collaborating with Hindu influencers or organisations to create authentic content.
Critical thinking
This kind of critical thinking can be used long before the influencer contract/s has been signed, or invites to the event/s have been sent out. What’s truly baffling is, there is NO shortage of Hindu influencers.
With a little bit of time and research, brands and agencies will find Hindu influencers, who have massive engagement statistics and reach, and are fully willing and capable of creating content that will reach a significantly larger audience.
PR and marketing leaders as well as agencies representing brands, must also discern influencers’ genuine interest in Diwali’s campaigns. For instance, in 2023 and 2024, an influencer who had previously denounced Hinduism, faced criticism for participating in Diwali campaigns for a luxury retailer.
Despite claiming familial ties to the religion, her content was tone-deaf, distorting and focused on aesthetic elements, thus misrepresenting customs.
‘I do culturally’
We also saw this occurrence from a luxury Austrian jewellery brand that has a presence in South Africa. For their 2024 Diwali campaigned, they retained the services of an influencer who said, on social media, that “I don’t observe it (Diwali) religiously, but I do culturally…”
I am still recovering from this confusion, as Diwali is a religious festival, not a cultural one. When faced with rightfully placed criticism, these influencers and brands either play ‘ostrich’, with the hopes that Hindus get distracted, or they play victim to social media bullying.
It’s important to note that not all Indians are Hindu, and thus not all Indians observe the customs of Diwali. Those with ethnic ties to the subcontinent know that India is a diverse country with people of various faiths, including Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and many more.
Capitalising on popularity
Some of these non-Hindu influencers, who may have Hindu origins, have steered away from the religion claiming not to connect with or understand the practices. Yet, they still seek to capitalise on the popularity and social media engagement of a religious festival.
This raises further questions about religious sensitivity and the ethics of profiting from a religion one does not identify with.
A recent launch event for a Diwali-inspired edition of a globally renowned doll, further exemplifies this trend. A South African PR agency included non-Hindu influencers on its guest list to the launch event of the doll. A local online news source enthusiastically shared a recap of the event on Instagram, prompting widespread criticism from Hindus, who found the guest list inappropriate and disrespectful.
The PR agency’s blatant disregard for the religious connotations of Diwali and the non-Hindu influencers’ willingness to participate in an event rooted in religious significance, resulted in remarkable backlash.
A question that came up in the discourse was “Why are non-Hindu influencers allowed to position themselves as the flagbearers of a Hindu religious festival?”
Dismissive and insensitive
The news outlet’s attempt to address the controversy was met with further disappointment. They failed to acknowledge the core issue of religious appropriation, and the hurt caused to the Hindu community.
Additionally, a leader of the South African Hindu Maha Sabah, was up to their usual people-pleasing trickery in saying a lot about nothing, making the Sabah’s response on the matter is largely dismissive, insensitive and frankly useless.
To be clear, Hindus are not concerned with the doll itself, which is beautifully designed. The issue lies in the ongoing commercialisation and misrepresentation of Hindu customs. Non-Hindu influencers who wish to celebrate their Indian heritage can do so without appropriating religious festivals.
In South Africa they have Heritage Day on 24 September and Indian Arrival Day on 16 November to twirl in their lehengas and show how strategically they eat Indian food with their perfectly manicured fingers, all without infringing on the religious significance Hindu festivals.
Appropriation of Hindu practices
The appropriation of Hindu practices extends beyond Diwali. Yoga, for example, is a centuries-old discipline rooted in Hindu philosophy and tradition. The first formal text on Yoga was the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, by Hindu scholar, philosopher, and educator.
The science of Yoga was developed as a series of physical, verbal, and mental prayer practices, and was then refined by Hindu Brahmin priests. While Yoga has evolved into a popular form of physical exercise, its core principles and purpose are often stripped away.
Yoga studios tend to focus on the physical postures and breathing techniques, neglecting the Hindu aspects that are central to the practice. In fact, clients of these studios are sometimes offended by the use of Hindu mantras in Yoga.
Similarly, symbols like AUM and the image of Ganesha are just some of the other elements that have been commercialised and used in various products without understanding its religious significance.
Burning question
My burning question remains, if we don’t stop at Diwali then what next? We’re already seeing the blatant disregard of Hindu symbolism and our deities in mainstream media. Do we now expect to see our Varalakshmi Vratam items next to the meat section at your favourite grocery stores? Or perhaps they make Garba an influencer event…hosted at a steak house, no less!
You may think I am being dramatic or exaggerating, but let us not forget the Yoga origin story, and what’s become of it now.
It’s crucial to acknowledge the origins and religious context of these practices when engaging with them, especially on a marketing stage. By respecting the spiritual heritage of Hinduism, we can ensure that these practices are not reduced to mere trends or hashtags. Hindus have remained quiet for too long, and this idea of us being the complacent marginalised group needs to come to an end.
Lastly, a massive THANK YOU to the fearless content creators, influencers and everyday South Africans that are actively aiming to release us from the shackles of Hindu appropriation.
Tee-Gee is a pseudonym for a South African public relations professional who wishes to remain anonymous.
