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Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Call It Mysore Pak': Inventor's great-grandson reacts as Jaipur shops rename iconic sweet
The great-grandson of the royal cook, who invented the famous Indian sweet Mysore Pak, has strongly objected to recent efforts to rename the delicacy, reported News18. A descendant of Kakasura Madappa, who first made the sweet in the Mysore palace kitchen, S Nataraj said, as quoted by News18, 'Call it Mysore Pak—there can be no other name,' . 'Just like every monument or tradition has its rightful name, Mysore Pak does too. It shouldn't be altered or misrepresented,' the kin said. 'Pak' comes from the Kannada word Paaka, which means sugar syrup and since the sweet was made in Mysore, it became 'Mysore Pak,' thus, there is no 'reason to call it anything else", the kin of the royal cook explained. The controversy erupted after at least three famous confectioneries in Rajasthan's Jaipur dropped 'Pak' from their entire range of offerings. Tyohaar Sweets, Bombay Misthan Bhandar, and Agarwal Caterers have renamed traditional sweets by replacing the word "Pak" with "Shree" as a mark of patriotism. As part of the growing trend, Aam Pak has become Aam Shree, Gond Pak is now Gond Shree and the iconic Mysore Pak has been renamed Mysore Shree. The move was triggered after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and a military operation called Operation Sindoor against terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The change is part of a broader effort to avoid the word 'Pak,' seen by some as linked to Pakistan. The owners said the move was a symbolic act of patriotism. "We want our sweets to show national pride," news agency PTI quoted Anjali Jain of Tyohaar Sweets as saying. 'It's not just about the name. After the attacks, we felt the need to express our feelings in our way,' she said. Businessman Ramesh Bhatia told the agency, 'Changing sweet names may seem small, but it's a strong cultural message. It shows unity with our soldiers.' 'When I heard 'Mysore Shree' instead of 'Mysore Pak,' I smiled. It felt like a sweet tribute to our brave soldiers,' another resident added. While some customers have welcomed the changes, calling them a show of support for Indian forces, many are against changing historic names. Language experts say the word 'Pak' has Persian roots, meaning both 'sweetmeat' and 'pure.' In Hindi and Kannada, it refers to something that's cooked or prepared, especially using sugar. Since 'Mysore Pak' and other sweets are made using sugar syrup, the original name is technically accurate.
News18
24-05-2025
- General
- News18
'Nobody Can Change Mysore Pak's Name': Kin Of Man Who Invented Iconic Sweet Slam Renaming Bid
Last Updated: The great-grandson of Mysore royal family's cook, who is credited with creating the iconic sweet, said the sweet is a cultural emblem and part of Karnataka's soul 'Call it Mysore Pak —there can be no other name for this invention passed down by our ancestors," says S Nataraj, great-grandson of Kakasura Madappa, the cook of the Mysore royal Wadiyar family, who is credited with creating the iconic sweet. Madappa's legacy is inseparable from the name itself, says Nataraj. 'The word Paaka in Kannada refers to a sugary syrup. Since it was invented in Mysore, it came to be known as Mysore Pak. There's no question of calling it anything else." 'Just like every monument or tradition has its rightful name, so does Mysore Pak. Don't misrepresent it," said the descendant of Kakasura Madappa. Nataraj's strong statement comes at a time when several sweet shops in Jaipur have renamed Mysore Pak as 'Mysore Shree" in an attempt to drop all associations with the word 'Pak" as in Pakistan, in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The attack, followed by India's military action under Operation Sindoor, triggered an anti-Pakistan sentiment, prompting at least three well-known confectioners in Rajasthan's capital to alter the names of their products. But for the descendants of the man who created the sweet, the idea of tampering with the name is unacceptable. 'Mysore Pak is a delicious sweet made with a sugary syrup, gram flour, and ghee. This invention by our family must be called by its rightful name and nothing else," reiterated Nataraj when he spoke to News18 in an exclusive interview. 'Wherever in the world you go, when someone sees the sweet, they should be able to identify and call it by its name Mysore Pak. Nobody has the right to change its name," he said. The family has been making the sweet for five generations and still runs the famous Guru Sweets in Mysuru. Located along the Mysuru Dasara Jumbo Savari route, the shop was set up by Nataraj's great-grandfather to help popularise the sweet even more amongst people and not just make it for the royal Darbar. According to Sumegh Nataraj, the fourt generation of the family, Mysore Pak is not just a sweet — it is a cultural emblem, one with historical importance. 'Mysore Pak is the pride of Mysore, Karnataka and Kannadigas. It presents the real essence of what our culture truly stands for—the sweetness of the Kananda and Kannadigas and the richness of Kannada culture and tradition. We only believe in the product that my forefather invented, Mysore Pak, which today is renowned globally. Don't attach unnecessary controversies to Mysore Pak." A few years ago, Mysore Pak was part of another controversy when a social media post falsely claimed Tamil Nadu had applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for it. Aligning with swift action, the descendants of Madappa officially applied for the GI tag. 'We had to act. That post caused confusion and started an avoidable debate. We're still waiting," said another member of the family. How Mysore Pak was 'invented' The story of Mysore Pak's invention dates back to the time of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (1902–1940), the king of Mysore, who was known to be a food connoisseur. He not only had a massive kitchen in the palace but was also known to cook on occasion himself. The king would also challenge his royal chefs to prepare dishes from different regions as well as different types of prasadams, or temple offerings. So, as the legend goes, one day during lunch, the king realised that his royal cook Kakasura Madappa had forgotten to prepare a dessert course. When he inquired about the missing course, Madappa had no option but to think on his feet. Caught off guard, Kakasura Madappa quickly mixed gram flour, ghee, and sugar to create a hot, soft fudge-like sweet. He presented this warm, soft, melt-in-the-mouth sweet that delighted the king as he tasted it. When Krishnaraja Wadiyar posed the question as to what the name of the sweet was, Madappa had to once again come up with something quickly—but this time, even faster than the time he took to prepare the newly concocted sweet. 'Mysore Pak, my king, that's what it's called," came the reply, as he felt that this was the best name to be given to a sweet made in Mysore using a sugary syrup. To this day, the family proudly upholds that legacy—not just by preparing the sweet, but by fiercely defending its name at a time like this. 'At no cost should anyone attempt to rename or politicise Mysore Pak," Nataraj said firmly. 'It's more than a sweet — it's a part of Karnataka's soul." First Published:
