A call to keep Durga Pujas vegetarian in West Bengal is causing a storm

West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari presents the mace to Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri during a three-day spiritual program in Howrah, September 4, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

A controversy has erupted in Bengal with calls from various quarters to keep non-vegetarian food away from Durga Puja pandals. Hindutva organizations and religious preachers are now appealing for only vegetarian food to be served near pandals.

On 26 August, the Hindu Parishad Vishwa issued an advisory that non-vegetarian food should be kept away from Durga Puja pandals to preserve the sanctity of the religious festival. As the controversy over the recommendation raged, the head priest of Bageshwar Dham, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, made a similar call on Sunday.

“I appeal to the Hindus of Bengal that during Navratri, even if you do not keep idols of the Goddess, do not sell non-vegetables near the idols,” said the self-proclaimed divine in Kolkata.

Shastri’s remark is significant because Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari not only shared the dais with the preacher but encouraged him to open a center in West Bengal.

“During Durga Puja, the government will work to protect the culture of West Bengal and India. Baba Maharaj Ji, please open a center here. There should also be a Bageshwar Dham center here… This is the land of saints. This is the land of spiritual awakening,” the chief minister said.

The VHP’s recommendation, which came from Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad Secretary Swami Nirgunanad during a meeting with Durga Puja organizers, said the sanctity of the Goddess idol must be preserved and it must not come in contact with non-vegetarian food.

“It is the duty of Sanatanis to protect the sanctity of the idol and maintain cleanliness in and around the pandal. If non-vegetarian food is sold during the festivities, it should be restricted to designated areas outside the puja venue,” said Swami Nirgunananda. However, the VHP leadership stated that they will not promote vegetarianism during the festival.

Impressive vegetarianism

These comments have sparked sharp reactions in the state, with many describing them as an attempt to introduce vegetarianism. During the campaign for the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, the BJP leadership tried hard to convince voters that the party was not in favor of imposing vegetarianism, with party leaders prominently displaying fish.

Durga Puja in Kolkata was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021. Over 40,000 community Durga Pujas are held across the state, with 3,000 such pujas held in Kolkata alone. The Trinamool Congress government started the practice of giving cash to every puja community in 2018. The BJP government is yet to decide.

While UNESCO included Kolkata’s Durga Puja in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it highlighted the community aspect of the festival, where “class, religious and ethnic divisions collapse as crowds of spectators pass by to admire the installations”.

Published – 06 Sep 2026 22:48 IST