In other parts of the country, eating non-vegetarian food in a temple would invoke the wrath of religious heads and attempts to convert to a more acceptable diet that excludes meat and eggs. In some of West Bengal’s temples, that’s nothing but a regular affair.
It is tradition.
But when Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari relished fish at the centuries-old Kalighat temple in Kolkata, the focus wasn’t on his plate but on remarks that have echoed in the city over the past week. A Hindu priest had admonished the Bengali Hindus who consume non-veg during Durga Puja.
Adhikari visited Kalighat last evening on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya, considered auspicious by Shakta Hindus. A video showed him sitting on the floor and having the bhog that comprised a massive fish head, iconic to the Kalighat bhog platter. Besides, there was fried fish and basanti pulao (yellow rice).
Read: “Bengalis Will Eat Meat”: State BJP On Dhirendra Shastri’s Durga Puja Remark
Kalighat has a tradition of offering fish and sacrificial goat meat to Kali, the presiding deity. The offering is then consumed by devotees.
Often criticised for importing vegetarian dietary habits from northern states to a rather meat-eating Bengal, the BJP has time and again rejected such narratives.
Taking a cue from Adhikari’s video, the ruling party suggested that it should end the veg-non-veg debate.
“Let the controversy end where it should. At Kalighat, CM @SuvenduWB takes part in Maa Kali’s traditional Fish Bhog – respecting Bengal’s faith, traditions, and way of life. Under his leadership, the BJP will always stand firmly for Bengal’s interests, Bengal’s traditions, and what is right for Bengal,” said BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
The Controversy
The controversy stems from an appeal by Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba, to Bengali Hindus to shun non-veg food during Durga Puja. He also called Bengali Hindus who consume non-veg during Durga Puja a “pakhandi” (hypocrite).
“Who wants the sale of non-vegetarian food to stop? Please indicate this by turning on the lights of your mobile phones. This message needs to reach every person in West Bengal, and the government needs to be made aware of this issue. Meat and liquor shops in West Bengal should remain closed during Durga Puja,” Shastri said.
This infuriated the community that is known not just for consuming non-veg during Puja but also for offering it to the deity.
The BJP, however, was quick in balancing public and ideological sentiments. While Adhikari laid out a red carpet for Shastri, welcomed him with much fanfare, and urged him to open a centre in Bengal, his party asserted no godman can decide people’s dietary choices.
“Bageshwar Baba comes from another ‘dunia’. Bageshwar Baba has no right to decide what the people of Bengal will eat. Bengalis will eat fish and meat. Vivekananda has spoken in favour of Bengalis consuming meat and fish,” said the BJP’s Bengal chief Samik Bhattacharya.
Adhikari put to play another critical balancing act.
Read: Non-Veg Is Not A Treat During Durga Puja. In Bengal, It Is Bhog
He ordered the arrest of those who burnt Bageshwar Baba’s photos during protests. But he also responded to Bageshwar Baba’s appeal with the most Bengali answer: He went and consumed non-veg in the temple, from the offering made to the deity.
Asked later about Shastri’s remark, he said he was entitled to his personal opinion, and people can either accept or reject it.
“I am a Sanatani Hindu. On Mahashtami, when I worship Maa Durga, I consume sattvik food. During Kartik month also, I consume sattvik food. At the same time, I consume non-vegetarian food such as goat meat offered to Maa Kali. Today, the bhog offered at the temple had fish head, fried fish, and basanti pulao. I ate that,” he said.
Bengal’s Fishy Affair
Fish is a staple in the regular Bengali diet. With cultural habits intertwining with religious practices in the eastern stretches of India, fish has emerged as an important offering in the Shakta traditions practised in this part of the country.
At Kalighat, for instance, fish and sacrificial goat meat are both offered to Kali.
Food during Durga Puja, the biggest festival in this part of the country, is a non-vegetarian affair. And it’s not looked down upon, but rather celebrated. While some traditions maintain vegetarian food rules, some mandate offering non-veg to deities as part of rituals.
However, such practices don’t find such a large audience far west or north, the reason why such dietary preferences continue to evoke curiosity and spark debate.
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