Could the opening of a Buddha Bar in Tbilisi spark a battle of the gods in the Georgian capital?

Georgia's venerated spiritual leader Patriarch Ilia II on November 13 spoke out against plans to open an outpost of the international restaurant and lounge chain, known for its signature Buddha sculpture. The church leader deemed inadmissible the erection of a Buddha statue -- even for solely gastronomic and entertainment purposes.

The Buddha statue’s presence in Tbilisi will show irreverence to the thousands of Georgian Christians slaughtered by (Muslim) Persians in the 13th century, Ilia II argued. “It is totally unallowable… this is a holy land,” said the patriarch, whom many Georgians view as Georgia's father figure.
  
Rated as the country’s most trusted institution, the Church has had difficulty digesting some of the changes brought about by the campaign to bring the outside world to Georgia. In the past, the Church has spoken out against celebrations of Halloween or importing the Harry Potter series of books; it has also fought hard against derisive mentions of the Church in contemporary Georgian fiction.

The Buddha Bar franchise is coming to Tbilisi as part of the city government’s efforts to create a posh recreational space in the city's historic downtown. The presidential palace, the country's main Holy Trinity (Sameba) cathedral and the medieval Narikala Fortress all overlook the Buddha Bar's planned site from atop surrounding cliffs. A mosque and a synagogue are also located in close vicinity.