A New York-based Indian-origin food brand has come under fire online after users noticed that the Goddess Lakshmi idol had been removed from its packaging.The controversy began after a post on Ax went viral, where Indian-American, an account known for highlighting issues related to Hindu Americans, called out the brand for a sudden change.The account criticized the brand for changing its longtime logo featuring the deity, calling it a “meaningless, confusing depiction.” “Did you remove it to get buyers who think Lakshmi offends them?! Bring her back!” This was the conclusion. The account has 44.2K followers on X and its callout quickly gained prominence on the app, sparking debate over the reasons behind the sudden change. The post quickly gained popularity online, sparking widespread debate about religious depictions on consumer packaging.The account, which has 44.2K followers on X, helped push the discussion into a viral trend, with users offering sharply divided opinions.Some users admitted that the presence of a deity on the packaging had made them uncomfortable in the past. One customer explained, “I don’t know man. I actually didn’t buy this brand because of the god on packaging. It was almost impossible to throw the empty packaging in the trash.” However, he also reflected on whether the brand should make changes to open itself up to more demographics, because “at the end of the day it’s about money.“The author of the post replied, “I think they removed it to not offend anti-Hindu haters.”Others expressed similar concerns about the disposal of packaging containing religious depictions. “Buying things with our gods on the packaging is always a dilemma for me. What to do with the package after using the contents? Don’t feel like throwing in the trash. It is precisely for this reason that I avoided purchasing any Agarbatti brand. “I’m kind of relieved,” another wrote. “Yes, this brand has become extremely bad for “South Asians,” one user said. “Oh my god, that’s too bad. I even trusted this brand,” supported another. Interestingly, most of the users in the comments seemed satisfied with the move, with some even demanding a bigger initiative to ban the use of God and Goddess idols on packaging, which are ultimately rejected. Amid the debate, one user pointed out that the change in packaging is not recent. They revamped the brand several years ago and this was done as per customer feedback as they were unable to throw away the packaging but also faced difficulty in collecting it. “They did this years ago and surprised you now realize they did this based on customer feedback because they can’t throw away and can’t even collect,” he wrote. According to a video shared on the brand’s YouTube channel, the packaging logo was changed in 2020. “Your favorite food brand Lakshmi now has a new logo,” it says in the clip revealing the new logo of the lotus, a flower primarily associated with the goddess in Hindu mythology and considered beloved by herself. The brand, which sells a variety of South Asian products including spices and food items, was founded in 1972 in Jackson Heights, New York by GL Soni and his brother KL Soni under their business, House of Spices. It has several stores in the US and caters to a largely South-Asian consumer base.