Swedish furniture maker Ikea has apologised for an advertisement showing a glittering toilet seat adorned with a meditating Buddha.

The figure, incorrectly identified as the Hindu god Shiva, appeared in a section with decoration tips in the latest issue of Ikea Family Magazine, sent to 700,000 households in Sweden.

Many of the estimated 10,000 Hindus in the Scandinavian country complained and representatives from Hindu groups sent a joint protest letter to the company. Ikea apologised soon after.

The article, headlined ´Make the nicest toilet seat yourself´, features a picture of Buddha, with legs crossed and eyes closed, glued on a toilet seat spray-painted in gold.

The adjoining text refers to the figure as Shiva.

Mr Ashok Dhawan, chairman of the Hindu temple in Stockholm, said he threw away his Ikea membership card after he saw the article.

´When I saw the picture, I first thought, 'how good that they print this picture'. Then I saw it was a toilet seat. I became furious," he said.

Protest organiser Shahsi Sharma said he was satisfied with the apology and considered the issue resolved.

Ikea spokesman Tina Paulsson said the company would pay closer attention to pictures with religious and cultural motifs in the future.

Said the company: ´We have unfortunately not been sufficiently attentive to this picture and its symbolism and meaning for a lot of people.´

Ikea, founded in 1943, has more than 140 stores with 70,000 employees in 22 countries.