CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Several traditional Bonedi Bari Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata continue to follow long-established customs that include non-vegetarian offerings, despite recent calls by Bageshwar Baba Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for devotees to avoid non-vegetarian food during the festival.
The issue has sparked a wider debate over religious traditions and cultural practices in West Bengal. Organisers of several heritage Durga Pujas have indicated that their rituals and food practices are rooted in family traditions followed for generations and are not easily changed.
Bonedi Bari Pujas are known for their distinctive customs, many of which have been preserved by old aristocratic and traditional families in Kolkata. In some such households, fish and other non-vegetarian offerings form part of the customary rituals associated with Durga Puja.
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s appeal for a vegetarian observance during Durga Puja has drawn criticism from sections of Bengal’s political and cultural circles. Critics have argued that dietary practices vary across communities and regions and should not be imposed uniformly.
The debate has consequently moved beyond food preferences to questions of cultural identity and religious diversity. Supporters of traditional Bonedi Bari practices maintain that Bengal’s Durga Puja heritage encompasses diverse rituals that have evolved over centuries.
With Durga Puja approaching, the discussion is expected to remain part of Bengal’s broader cultural and political discourse, highlighting the tension between traditional regional practices and calls for a uniform religious observance.
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