Legal notice to Delhi eatery over pics of Hindu gods on food packets

Mahabelly, a popular Kerala food chain in New Delhi, has been served a legal notice for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over its use of pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses on food packets.

A man identified PKD Nambiar has sent the legal notice to Thomas Fenn and Zachariah Jacob, owners of the restaurant Mahabelly at Mandir Marg in Saket, South Delhi.

Nambiar claimed that he had alerted the restaurant management that the picture of Theyyam, which the devotees in Kerala consider as a god, was used to cover the food packet and it hurt the sentiments of the believers.

He said he had asked the management to remove the picture from the food packets. But the restaurant's management did not act on the advice.

"The lucky one’s who are chosen to perform Theyyam are required to lead an austere life—devoid of meat, alcohol or other vices — in preparation for the ritual. How ironic is it then that you reduce the images of such a divine practice to merely add value to packaging material for food (veg or non-veg) and beverages! Sanatana Dharma lives through the practice of such rich and diverse native traditions, which generations after generations have continued to hold," read the legal notice.

Nambiar, who hails from Kannur district in Kerala, alleged that the restaurant management insisted that Theyyam (Hindu god/goddess) is an art form and they have a right to use the picture on the food packet. After the restaurant's response, Nambiar approached the court against the food chain.

The legal notice to the restaurant further stated, "That you, all the addressee, have chosen to reduce it to mere aspect of your commercial activity is highly hurtful and deplorable. In a country like ours where people are expected to respect the belief systems of others, such attempts are, to say the least, insidious and utter disrespect of religious sentiments. "