Cafeteria drops Hitler name

BOMBAY, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- "Hitler's Cross" cafeteria in India's financial capital Bombay, whose opening stirred up a huge controversy, will be renamed "The Cross Cafe."

"We hope this name will be a trouble free one. We have deleted Hitler's name from it and would also be replacing the swastika with multi-colored rings," its managing director Punit Sabhlok told Zeenews.com.

The owners had considered renaming it "Fort Knox" and "Exotic Goblet" before settling on "The Cross Cafe," the report said.

The opening of the facility in August drew much public criticism as well as condemnation by the Israeli consul general and Jewish groups in India.

But throughout the controversy, the owners maintained they never meant to hurt anyone and that the Hitler name was only designed to attract attention.

Before the Nazis adopted it, the swastika was an ancient Hindu religious symbol, variously interpreted to symbolize man-woman union, energy, creation and even luck.