Dhirendra Shastri’s Durga Puja appeal sparks anger in Bengal: ‘Don’t tell Bengalis how to celebrate’
PTC Web Desk: A fresh controversy has erupted in West Bengal after Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri appealed to Bengali Hindus not to sell or keep non-vegetarian food near Durga idols during Navratri and Durga Puja.
Shastri made the remarks while addressing devotees during a three-day Hanumant Katha at Liluah in Howrah. His comments came shortly after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) issued a similar advisory to Durga Puja organisers in West Bengal, asking them to keep non-vegetarian food away from puja pandals.
The appeal has triggered criticism from several Bengali Hindus, including some who identify themselves as Hindu nationalists. Critics say Bengal has its own long-standing religious and food traditions and that outsiders should not decide how the festival should be observed.
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On September 6, the final day of the Hanumant Katha, Shastri appealed to Hindus in Bengal to avoid selling non-vegetarian food around Durga idols during Navratri.
He also urged people to observe Navratri with devotion, even if they were not installing a Durga idol at home or organising a puja.
Shastri’s visit had already attracted political attention. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had shared the stage with him on September 4 and encouraged him to establish a Bageshwar Dham centre in the state.
The preacher's remarks, however, quickly became the focus of a new political and cultural debate.
BJP says it is Shastri’s personal view
West Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya said he respected Shastri and had met him, but made it clear that the remarks about non-vegetarian food were his personal opinion and were not the BJP's official position.
Bhattacharya pointed to Bengal's own food traditions during the festival, saying, “We Bengalis eat puri on Ashtami and mutton on Navami.”
The issue is particularly sensitive because this is the first Durga Puja in West Bengal since the BJP came to power in the state.
Bengali traditions at the centre of Debate
Durga Puja is deeply connected with Bengal's culture, and the festival has also been recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Food is an important part of the celebrations, but practices vary widely between families and communities. Vegetarian bhog is common at many community pandals, while fish, meat and eggs are also available at and around several puja venues.
Critics argue that Hindu religious practices are diverse and cannot be reduced to one common set of rules.
Former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy said that diversity is an important feature of Hinduism. He added that whether he followed Shastri's advice was his own decision.
VHP clarifies its stand
The VHP has maintained that its advisory was not intended to impose a complete ban on non-vegetarian food. The organisation said it had not issued any “fatwa” and was only asking that such food not be sold near Durga Puja pandals.
However, the clarification has not ended the controversy.
Supporters of the appeal argue that keeping non-vegetarian food away from the immediate vicinity of idols would help maintain the sanctity of the festival. Critics, meanwhile, see the issue as part of a larger debate over Bengal's cultural identity.
With more than 40,000 community Durga Pujas held across West Bengal, including around 3,000 in Kolkata, the dispute has become more than a debate about food. It has raised questions about who gets to define the traditions of one of Bengal's most important festivals.
- With inputs from agencies
