Fearing Pakistan, India Renames Historic Sweet ‘Mysore Pak’; Inventor’s Descendants Outraged
In a surprising twist of culinary and cultural controversy, several Indian sweet shops—particularly in **Jaipur**—have reportedly changed the name of the iconic South Indian dessert **‘Mysore Pak’** to **‘Mysore Shri’**, allegedly due to growing anti-Pakistan sentiment following recent political tensions between the two countries.
This move has drawn widespread criticism, especially from the descendants of the sweet’s inventor, who claim the renaming is an **insult to heritage and history**.
According to Indian media reports, the backlash began after the **Pahalgam attack** last month increased hostilities between India and Pakistan. In the wake of rising nationalist rhetoric, some shop owners sought to **dissociate their products from anything that might sound remotely “Pak”**, a syllable now wrongly being linked to “Pakistan” rather than its **original Sanskrit/Dravidian roots**.
However, **S. Nataraj**, a well-known chef and **great-grandson of Kakasura Madappa**—the royal chef credited with creating Mysore Pak in the kitchen of **Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV** of Mysore—voiced **strong objections** to the change. Speaking to media outlets, he emphasized:
> “Call it Mysore Pak. That’s its identity. Just like you don’t change the name of a historical monument, you shouldn’t distort the name of a culinary legacy.”
He explained that the word **‘Pak’** (or *Paaka*) in the **Kannada language** refers to a **sugar syrup or sweet preparation**. Since the dessert was invented in the city of **Mysore**, the name **‘Mysore Pak’** naturally followed.
Nataraj also noted that this knee-jerk renaming reflects **ignorance of language and culture**, stating,
> “No one has the right to alter the name of this sweet. It belongs to Mysore, and its name carries the taste of our tradition.”
The controversy has sparked a larger debate in India about the **politicization of cultural symbols**, especially when linguistic similarities are misunderstood or weaponized.
Critics argue that this kind of name-changing spree risks **erasing genuine history** and **dividing communities** over issues that should remain apolitical—such as **food, language, and art**.
