JAIPUR: In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, several sweet shop owners in Jaipur have begun replacing the word 'Pak' with 'Shri' while referring to traditional Indian sweets, citing nationalist sentiments and customer discomfort.
Sweets such as Moti Pak, Aam Pak, Gond Pak, and the iconic Mysore Pak—long staples in Jaipur’s confectioneries—are now being rebranded as Moti Shri, Aam Shri, Gond Shri, and Mysore Shri.
The move, which has drawn both support and ridicule on social media, is being seen by some as a symbolic gesture of patriotism to shun any mention of Pakistan - as the use of Pak suggests the hostile neighbour in the imagination of many.
According to shopkeepers, the decision was prompted by repeated customer feedback. "People didn’t like hearing ‘Pak’ anymore. They would associate it—jokingly or seriously—with Pakistan, so we decided to change it," said one sweet shop owner from Johari Bazaar.
Mohit Jain, who runs a popular sweet shop near the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, echoed the sentiment.
"Every day, customers would ask us to change the name. They no longer felt comfortable hearing ‘Pak’. So we brainstormed with the team and decided to give the sweets a more Indian identity," he said.
"We’ve now renamed Bikaneri Moti Pak to Bikaneri Moti Shri, Chandi Bhasm Pak to Chandi Bhasm Shri, and Swarn Bhasm Pak to Swarn Bhasm Shri. Customers are appreciating the change and linking it to patriotic sentiments."
Prateek Agarwal, a shop owner in Shastri Nagar, said he plans to follow suit. "When you hear ‘Shri’ in the name, it gives a sense of satisfaction that something has changed," he remarked.
However, not everyone agrees with the curious logic behind the change. Language experts and food historians have pointed out that the word ‘Pak’ has no connection with Pakistan or Urdu.
"The term ‘Pak’ in these sweets originates from Pak-Shastra, the ancient Sanskrit word for culinary science. It simply means ‘cooked’ or ‘a cooked preparation,’" explained a Jaipur-based Sanskrit scholar.
In the case of Mysore Pak, experts say the word Pak comes from Kannada, where it refers to a syrupy sweet or cooked sugar preparation - again unrelated to any geopolitical connotation.
The renaming of these traditional sweets has sparked a larger conversation about the growing influence of symbolic nationalism and cultural reinterpretation. While some see the change as a harmless expression of patriotism, others warn that it risks distorting India’s diverse linguistic and culinary heritage.