An Indian-origin food brand based in New York has come under fire online after users noticed that a statue of Goddess Laxmi had been removed from its packaging.The controversy began after a post on X went viral, where the Indian-American account, known for highlighting issues related to Hindu Americans, called on the brand to make a sudden change.The account criticized the brand for replacing the old logo featuring the deity with what it described as a “confusing, meaningless illustration.” “Did you remove it to get buyers who think Lakshmi is insulting them?! Bring it back!” I finished. The account has 44.2k followers on X and its callouts quickly gained prominence on the app sparking debate about the reasons behind the sudden change. The post quickly gained attention online, sparking a broader debate about religious imagery on consumer packaging.
The account, which has 44.2k followers on X, helped push the discussion into a viral trend, with users offering sharply divided views.Some users admitted that having a god on the packaging made them feel uncomfortable in the past. “I don’t know, man. I did my best not to buy this brand because of the gods on the packaging. It was almost impossible to throw the empty packaging in the trash,” one customer explained.
However, they also considered whether the brand had made the change to open itself up to more demographics, as “at the end of the day, it’s about the money.
““I think they removed it so as not to offend Hindu haters,” the post’s author replied.Others echoed similar concerns about the disposal of packages containing religious images. “Buying things that have images of our deities on the packaging is always a dilemma for me. What do I do with the packaging after using the content? I don’t want to throw it in the trash.
I have avoided buying agrabatti brands for exactly the same reason. “I’m relieved somehow,” another wrote. “Yes, this brand went down the drain to cater to ‘South Asians,'” one user added. “Oh my god, this is too bad. I trusted this brand too,” another supported. Interestingly, most users in the comments seemed satisfied with the move, with some even calling for a bigger initiative to ban the use of idols of gods and goddesses on packaging that eventually ends up being thrown away. Amid the controversy, one user pointed out that the packaging change was not recent. The brand made the change years ago and it was based on customer feedback that they couldn’t throw away the packaging but had difficulty collecting it as well. “They did it years ago and wondered, I now realize they did it based on customer feedback because they can’t get rid of it and they can’t accumulate either,” they wrote. According to a video shared on the brand’s YouTube channel, the packaging logo was changed in 2020. “Your favorite food brand Laxmi now has a new logo,” the clip read while unveiling the new logo of the lotus flower, a flower primarily associated with the goddess herself and considered beloved in Hindu mythology. The brand, which sells a variety of South Asian products including spices and food items, was founded in 1972 in Jackson Heights, New York by JL Soni and his brother KL Soni under their business, House of Spices. It has multiple stores in the US and largely caters to the South Asian consumer base.
