CHICAGO: Indian Americans here plead with Winston-Salem (North Carolina) headquartered Incendiary Brewing Company to withdraw beer named after Hindu deity Kali and carrying her reimagined image.
It is averred that inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
Rajan Zed president of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that goddess Kali was highly revered in Hinduism and she was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used in selling beer.
Breweries should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege, and ridiculing entire communities. It was deeply trivializing of immensely venerated Hindu goddess Kali to be portrayed on a beer label, Rajan Zed emphasized.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled; Zed noted.
In Hinduism, Goddess Kali, who personifies Shakti or divine energy, is considered the goddess of time and change. Some Bengali poets described her as supreme deity. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
“Kali the Destroyer Mango Lassa IPA”, available both as draft and in cans in Winston-Salem brewery, was described as IPA with Vic Secret, Citra, Sabra; Mango, Vanilla, lactose 7.5% ABV.
Incendiary Brewing Company currently has two locations—Winston-Salem and Lewisville. The Raleigh location is said to be coming in fall. Founded by Brandon Brans come and John acon in 2018, it sells wines besides beers and organizes various events and shows.
