Yudhika sujanani ethnicity examples

South African celebrity chef and restaurateur, Yudhika Sujanani, made headlines when a petition directed allegations of cultural appropriation at one of her restaurants, Holi Cow.

The petition was drafted by the SAIR (South African Indians have Rights), to various stakeholders, such as the SAHMS (South African Hindu Maha Sabha) that has been a national representative body of Hindus in South Africa since 1912.

The petition stated that “the company logo is that of a cow head which has markings on its forehead that depict a tilak [a religious mark worn on the forehead] with decoration around the head that closely resemble drawings used within the Hindu faith”.

It goes on to assert that the restaurant prepares beef alongside Hindu prayer food (known as Roht), which is viewed as a religious transgression in the Hindu faith. The petition alleges that the establishment commercialises prayer food, consider