MADHU PATEL
CHICAGO: Highly perturbed Indian Americans across the country, including a large number in Midwest Chicago, have strongly pitched with the Amsterdam, Netherlands-based micro-brewery Walhalla to withdraw its “Shakti” beer; calling it highly inappropriate and insulting to religious sentiments of Shakti devotees
The protesters led by Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said that any inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda is wrong as it hurts the devotees.
Shakti (or Devi, a general term for the goddess as the supreme deity, which include Durga, Lakshmi, Kali, and Saraswatiamong others) is highly venerated in Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world, since Vedic times and is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used in selling beer.
Goddesses find mention in Rig-Veda, the oldest of Hinduism’s extant texts. Texts such as Devimahatmya, glorify the goddess as the supreme being and detail her all-pervading primordial powers.
Award-winning Walhalla Craft Beer BV, north of Amsterdam, whose tagline is “Brewing The Gods’ Favorite Ales”, claims “Bold and magical beers, thirst-quenching and pure”. Aart van Bergen is the founder of the brewery.
Walhalla describes year-round extra-strong Shakti as “the beloved beer of the mother goddess Shakti” It is available in cans, bottle, on tap and in the tanks.
