Years after calling Indian cuisine “disgusting,” Kim Kardashian was captured serving Indian food with a smile at a temple during her visit to the Asian country.
The 43-year-old star and her sister, Khloé Kardashian, had visited the ISKCON temple in the city of Mumbai to perform sevā, which is said to be a selfless act of service.
She was also accompanied by Jay Shetty and his wife, Radhi Devlukia.
“Thank you @jayshetty and @radhidevlukia for this beautiful experience at the temple and having the opportunity to visit these small souls,” Kim wrote on Instagram as she shared a carousel of pictures from the temple visit.
“I’m forever grateful,” she added.
Kim Kardashian visited the ISKCON temple in the city of Mumbai during her trip to India
Image credits: kimkardashian
Image credits: BACKGRID
The carousel of pictures included the celebrity sisters getting warm greetings from priests and also serving food to a group of schoolchildren.
“Thank you for your curiosity and desire to learn about the culture @kimkardashian @khloekardashian so grateful to take you to this sacred place that means so much to me,” author Jay commented on Kim’s post.
Some netizens praised her for her actions, with one saying, “Love this so much.”
“Gorgeous, this is the real definition to beauty,” one said, while another wrote, “Kim Kardashian welcome to India.”
Another said, “She did more the most of these celebrities that’s why I gotta love me some Kim.”
Others criticized her for the strategic photo-op, with one saying: “What…she’s handing out food! Just for the camera…soooo silly!”
The reality TV star was accompanied by her sister, Khloé Kardashian, as well as author Jay Shetty and his wife, Radhi Devlukia
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Some also found it hypocritical of Kim to serve Indian food to children years after calling it “disgusting.”
Another said, "This is the same woman who said 'Indian food is disgusting.'"
Netizens were referring to a 2012 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, in which the Skims founder called the Asian cuisine “disgusting.”
She later posted a blog post in May 2012 saying she did not intend the remark as an insult.
“Just Want to Clear Something Up. In NO way was [my comment] intended as an insult to the Indian people or their culture,” she said. “This is just my own personal taste. There are a lot of foods I don't like . . . I hate cilantro [coriander] and peppers, and there are definitely some Armenian foods that I personally find disgusting, but that doesn't reflect my opinions on other Armenian people or my culture.”
“My comment wasn't intended to offend anybody. We all have our own opinions and tastes and I was simply expressing mine,” she added.
In a 2012 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the Skims founder called Indian food "disgusting"
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Image credits: ShutupAyushiii
Netizens at the time said she might not visit India due to her distaste for the Asian country’s cuisine.
"I think it's good Kim Kardashian doesn't like Indian food, because that means she won't ever visit India and that in itself is a blessing,” one social media user said at the time, while another wrote, "Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner called Indian food 'so disgusting.' Seriously? You don't have to like it, [but] don't be rude."
Regardless of personal taste, Indian food continues to captivate palates worldwide with its diverse and vibrant dishes. Celebrities have also revealed passionate adoration for the cuisine in the past.
Actor Will Smith once said that he’s a fan of Indian food.
"Last time I was here, I had a party and it (Indian cuisine) was the best food I had ever had in my entire life," he said and added that his favorite is “chicken tikka masala. And five or six different kinds of naans (bread).”
“What…she’s handing out food! Just for the camera…soooo silly!” a social media user said
Image credits: BACKGRID
Bill Gates also once revealed his love for Indian food in a blog post, noting his favorites included lamb curries and chicken dishes.
“I love Indian food. I have it for lunch at work pretty often and it's just great,” he wrote. “But going to India is phenomenal. I probably eat far more than I should when I travel to India as it is such a great chance to eat the local food. In particular, I really like lamb curries and some of the chicken dishes,” continued the former CEO of Microsoft.
Julia Roberts, who visited India to shoot her film Eat Pray Love, revealed how "amazingly spicy" Indian food can be.
“It's amazing how much Indian food you can eat in five weeks,” she was quoted saying. “I'm pretty picky and I really like Indian food. Just every once in a while, you run into something that is so amazingly spicy that you're just sweating all through dinner.”
While in India, Kim had attended the wedding of the billionaire heir Ambani and Radhika Merchant. She sparked controversy for wearing a red outfit, which is traditionally reserved for Indian brides.
Following her comments on Indian food, Kim posted a blog post saying she didn't intend it as an "insult" and that it was just her own "personal taste"
The wedding of Anant, the son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, cost about $600 million, as estimated by The Guardian. In comparison, the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles cost $110 million.
The extravagant wedding had guests like John Cena, Tony Blair, Boris and Carrie Johnson, Priyanka Chopra, and Nick Jonas.
Justin Bieber was flown into India to perform for the celebrations at a reported cost of $10 million.
The pictures of Kim serving food to schoolchildren at the Indian temple sparked massive criticism online
