While shooting her latest music video, British pop star Cheryl Cole posed in a multi-armed form that resembled the Hindu Goddess Kali. The action has caused some Hindu groups to protest, claiming such mimicry profanes their sacred culture.

Similar unrest resulted when actress Lucy Lawless portrayed the goddess more directly in the television series “Xena: Warrior Princess” in 1999.

Cole, 26, nominated for four BRIT Awards, won Best Single for “The Promise,” and has been dubbed “the nation’s new sweetheart.”

Goddess Kali is one manifestation of Durga, the wife of Shiva, and represents the destructive energy of the divine.