Washington, Nov 15 (IANS): Hindus, who were upset over images of deities Ganesh and Lakshmi pasted on beer bottles by an Australian brewery, have hailed the company for apologising and redesigning the pictures.

It was a step in the right direction, Nevada-based Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, said Friday.

"We thank and commend the brewery for understanding the feelings of Hindu community and for showing responsibility, respect and maturity by taking quick action in apologising and announcing its redesign," Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said in a statement.

He said businesses should be respectful to various faith traditions.

The brewery, in a statement Thursday, said: "We have subsequently apologised for any distress caused and begun the process of removing the images from the website."

It asked graphic designers, artists, and even doodlers to come up with a better design by Nov 24 and is reportedly urging them not to use imagery that may be deemed offensive.