Row over Zomato’s ‘Mahakal temple’ ad featuring Hrithik Roshan, ‘boycott Zomato’ trends

Gurgaon-based food delivery app Zomato is facing backlash online over an advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan that showed Ujjain’s Mahakal temple. In the advertisement, the actor says he felt like having a “thali” (food platter) in Ujjain, so he ordered it from “Mahakal”. This apparently did not go down well with several Twitter users who started calling for ‘Boycott Zomato’, saying the advertisement “hurts religious sentiments”.

‘Boycott Zomato’ was trending on the social media platform on Sunday.

#Zomato_Insults_Mahakal
In an ad, @iHrithik says “Thaali khane ka man tha, Mahakal se mangaa liya"

Mahakal is no servant who delivers food to those who demand it, He is a God who's worshipped.

Could @zomato insult a God of another religion with the same courage? #Boycott_Zomato pic.twitter.com/7yC3qxi3iX
— HinduJagrutiOrg (@HinduJagrutiOrg) August 21, 2022

The Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal temple in Ujjain is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is one of the 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’ in the country, attracting a huge number of devotees.

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Following the controversy, Zomato released a statement saying that ‘Mahakal’ thali advertisement was part of its pan-India campaign, where top local restaurants and popular dishes from there were identified. Mahakal Restaurant is one of its high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain, and the thali is a recommended item on its menu, it read, as reported by Hindustan Times.

“We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone’s beliefs and sentiments,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the ad was also taken note by Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra who said he has directed police to look into the matter. “Prima facie, the advertisement video being circulated on social media seems morphed. I have told Ujjain’s Superintendent of Police to look into the reality of the video and report to me so that action can be initiated against the guilty,” Mishra told reporters on Sunday.

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On Saturday, two priests of the famous temple had demanded that Zomato withdraw the advertisement, claiming it offends Hindu sentiments, and tender an apology. Devotees are served ‘prasad’ on a thali and the advertisement hurts the feelings of Hindus, the priests — Mahesh and Ashish — claimed.

The priests said they had also approached Ujjain Collector and chairman of the Mahakal temple trust, Ashish Singh, seeking action against the online delivery firm.

Singh termed the advertisement as “misleading”, saying the temple offers free meals as ‘prasad’ and does not sell them.

Row over Zomato’s ‘Mahakal temple’ ad featuring Hrithik Roshan, ‘boycott Zomato’ trends

This ad apparently did not go down well with several Twitter users who started calling for 'Boycott Zomato', saying the advertisement "hurts religious sentiments".