Cambodian beer named after Hindu monkey god Hanuman riles Indians
- The Hanuman Premium Lager hit the market months ago but came to attention in India after a Twitter user drew attention to promotional materials placed outside a shop
- Some demanded the company change the name and image on the lager bottle, while others said it was much ado about nothing
While the Hanuman Premium Lager made by Hanuman Beverages hit the Southeast Asian nation’s market months ago, the furore over the pint’s name and its bottle design emblazoned with the deity’s image erupted on Monday following a tweet by a user who drew attention to promotional materials placed outside a shop.
The user, upset about the perceived religious insult, also urged the Indian embassy to reach out to the Cambodian authorities to “get the brand name and image changed”.
Some Twitter users backed the demand, questioning the firm’s decision to use the name despite Cambodians knowing who Hanuman was, and exhorting fellow Hindus to defend the religion.
But others described the incident as much ado about nothing and commended Cambodia’s religious harmony, saying even though the drink used the god’s name, the country was peaceful unlike India, which has seen a rise in communal violence in recent years.
“Hanuman is a mythological character. I don’t see anything wrong in this. There are many alcohol companies named after Greek mythological characters,” wrote one user.
Hanuman, a key character in the Indian epic Ramayana, is revered both in Cambodia and the South Asian country.