India-Pakistan Tensions Trigger Sweet Name Change in Jaipur

In the wake of heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Jaipur sweet shops have joined the wave of nationalism. At least three confectioners in the city have rebranded the popular Indian sweet “Mysore Pak,” replacing the word “Pak” with “Shree” in response to perceived anti-Pakistan sentiment. This follows an earlier incident in Hyderabad where Karachi Bakery was vandalized over its name, which was wrongly assumed to have Pakistani ties.

Despite the controversy, culinary experts point out that the term “Pak” in Mysore Pak has no connection with Pakistan. Instead, “Pak” or “Paaka” in Kannada refers to the cooking process involving sugar syrup. Mysore Pak originated in the early 20th century in the royal kitchens of Mysore Palace, under the reign of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV. A palace cook named Kakasura Madappa created the dessert using gram flour, sugar, and ghee. When asked what it should be called, he simply named it “Mysuru Paka.”

Over time, Mysore Pak became one of India’s iconic sweets, especially favored in Karnataka and across South India. The rebranding move in Jaipur has been met with mixed reactions, with some supporting it as a patriotic gesture, while others view it as unnecessary and uninformed. Experts emphasize the need to distinguish between historical culinary terms and modern political narratives. As tensions between India and Pakistan resurface, symbolic changes like this reflect the strong emotional undercurrents among the public.