West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari offered prayers at Kolkata’s Kalighat Temple on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya and ate traditional fish bhog offered to Maa Kali.
Adhikari visited the temple on Thursday, where he participated in special prayers and offered a Banarasi saree and flowers to the deity. After the rituals, he sat on the floor inside the temple premises and ate basanti pulao, fried fish and fish head served as bhog.
His visit came amid a growing debate in West Bengal over non vegetarian food during religious festivals.
Adhikari Defends Bengali Food Traditions
Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said Kaushiki Amavasya was an important occasion in Sanatan culture. He said special prayers were being held at major temples, including Kalighat in Kolkata and Tarapith in Birbhum district.
On the controversy over non vegetarian food, Adhikari said religious practices could coexist with Bengali food traditions.
“A saint has expressed his opinion. Those who want to accept it will accept it; those who do not will not,” Adhikari said, referring to Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s remarks.
Adhikari said he followed a sattvik diet during Mahashtami and the month of Kartik. However, he said he also accepted fish and meat offered to Maa Kali as part of Bengali religious customs.
“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,” he said.
Dhirendra Shastri’s Remarks Spark Debate
The controversy began after Dhirendra Krishna Shastri appealed to Bengali Hindus to avoid non vegetarian food during Durga Puja. His remarks triggered criticism from political leaders and social groups, who argued that food habits are closely connected to Bengal’s cultural traditions.
West Bengal BJP leaders have also said that people should be free to choose what they eat. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya earlier said Bengalis would continue to eat fish and meat and that no religious preacher could dictate people’s dietary choices.
Shastri later clarified that his remarks were intended to promote non violence and were not meant to restrict anyone’s freedom to eat.
Fish Bhog and Kali Temple Traditions
Fish and meat offerings are part of the traditional worship practices followed at several Kali temples in Bengal. At Kalighat, fish is offered to Maa Kali and later distributed among devotees as prasad.
Adhikari said he accepted the same food that was offered to the deity.
“Again, as a Bengali, I accept the bhog offered to Maa with fish. I also accept the prasad of goat sacrifice. Today, whatever was offered to Maa in the afternoon, the temple priests gave me the same. There was fish head and fried fish,” he said.
