Delhi’s ‘Mahabelly’ food packets cause legal trouble

New Delhi, Nov 16 : Mahabelly, a popular south Indian eatery based in New Delhi, is now being accused of hurting religious sentiments by allegedly using pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses on its food packets, which has now attracted a legal notice.
P.K.D. Nambiar, an entrepreneur, has sent a legal notice to Thomas Fenn and Zachariah Jacob, owners of the restaurant in Saket’s Mandir Marg for this.
Nambiar has alleged that he alerted the restaurant management that the picture of Theyyam, whom devotees in Kerala consider as a god, was used to cover the food packet and it hurt the sentiments of the believers. He claimed to have asked the management of the restaurant to remove the picture from the food packets, but to no avail.
The legal notice read, “The lucky ones 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 dear.” The notice claims that fundamental rights of the the client and many other people following the religious practice and belief of Theyyam enshrined under the provision of Article 25 & 26 of the Constitution of India are being violated by Mahabelly.
Nambiar, who hails from Kerala’s Kannur district, insisted that the restaurant management “argued” that Theyyam is an art form and they have a right to use the picture on the food packets.