It turns out, Rihanna's Ganesha pendant has been around for much longer than the recent Twitter controversy that surrounded it. The pop sensation has flaunted her purple diamond pendant of the Hindu deity way before she posed topless in it on February 15, angering many Indians.
Two years ago in 2019, badgalriri, as the singer calls herself on Instagram, posted a picture dressed in denims, a white tee and some purple tulle. Paired with her purple theme was a colour co-ordinated purse and, yes, the purple Ganesha pendant that has now become the object of much discussion.
See Rihanna's Ganesha pendant photo from 2019 below:
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Source: Instagram Sporting this casual look, with a pair of white sunglasses after, Rihanna was headed for her goddaughter Majesty's 5th birthday. Majesty is the daughter of Rihanna's cousin, Noelle Alstrom.
As per reports, the 2019 birthday celebrations took place in New York. The ensemble Rihanna had put together for the party had attracted much appreciation then for its chic style.
Commemorating Majesty's 5th birthday, the singer had even dropped some pictures and blessings for her on Twitter:
Rihanna's Ganesha Pendant: Then And Now
While last time Rihanna's deity pendant had won praise for its Indian connect, this time around reactions aren't so positive. A lot of Indian Twitter users, including some politicians from the ruling party, criticised the Umbrella singer for "offending" religious sentiments and "cultural appropriation."
In her 2020 photo, Rihanna can be seen with her Ganesha pendant over her bare body, covered only by matching shorts, beads, jewellery and her tattoos.
This comes after she earlier kicked up a social media storm with a single tweet on the internet shutdowns surrounding farmers’ protest on February 2, which said, “why aren’t we talking about this?!” More on that here.
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