Hindus upset at whisky named after sacred nectar
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that amrut (amrta) emerged from Churning of the Ocean (samudra-manthana), which was highly important part of Hindu faith; and linking whisky to it was trivialization of the oldest and third largest religion of the world with a rich philosophical thought.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that amrut, which also found mention in oldest existing scripture of the mankind Rig-Veda, was the name given to the nectar of immortality, which bestowed deathlessness. Selling whisky named as Amrut was highly misleading and it hurt the feelings of the devotees. Moreover, amrut (amrit) is also blessed water in Sikhism and some denominations of Buddhism.
Symbols and concepts of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.
Meanwhile, the website of Amrut Distilleries Limited which produces Amrut Single Malt Whisky sold worldwide in various flavors, also mentions: …when Gods and Rakshasas - the demons - churned the oceans using the mountain Meru as churner, a golden pot sprang out containing the Elixir of Life. That was called the "Amrut"…
Amrut Distilleries Limited run by N.R. Jagdale Group, founded by the late Radhakrishna Jagdale in 1948 and currently headed by Neelakanta Rao Jagdale, is headquartered in Bangalore (India) with its European distributor based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (United Kingdom).
It has bottling units in Karnataka and Kerala states of India and claims to have grown into a trans-national player. “Amrut presents this product as a humble tribute to the Indian farmer”, company website says talking about Amrut Whisky, which is available at Duty Free shop also.
