With Durga Puja just a month away, Kolkata's oldest festival organizers are drawing a firm line in the sand. The city's aristocratic Bonedi Bari households, guardians of traditions stretching back centuries, have made their position clear: they will not abandon their non-vegetarian customs despite recent pressure from religious figures.

Key facts

  • Bonedi Bari households have organized Durga Pujas for hundreds of years
  • Self-styled godman Bageshwar Baba called for vegetarian-only celebrations
  • Families cite traditions dating back 417 years in some cases
  • Non-vegetarian offerings continue despite end of animal sacrifices

Centuries of Tradition Versus New Demands

The tension began when Dhirendra Shastri, known as Bageshwar Baba, declared at a religious event in Howrah that he found Bengal's non-vegetarian practices during Durga Puja "offensive" and "dirty." His comments, made just a week ago, ignited immediate controversy across political and social circles.

But for families like the Sabarna Roy Chowdhurys, whose Durga Puja spans 417 years and 35 generations, such external pronouncements hold little weight. "No man or Baba coming from outside will tell us what to do in our puja," Srimant Roy Chowdhury states firmly. "Every religion has its own traditions."

The Guardians Speak

Across Kolkata, from Behala to Sobhabajar, the message echoes through ancestral homes. Prabir Krishna Deb, representing the 8th generation of Sobhabajar Rajbari Puja organizers, questions the very premise of outside interference: "She is our Maa, our goddess, our traditions. Why will we listen to someone who does not belong to these traditions?"

Even as some offerings remain vegetarian, these families openly acknowledge consuming mutton and fish during festivities—a practice woven into their cultural fabric. The Darjipara Mitra Bari Puja, led by women for 220 years, maintains its schedule of non-vegetarian offerings on all festival days except Ashtami.

"Our belief system and traditions are not so frivolous and shallow that they will fall apart because of the words of an outsider" - Srimant Roy Chowdhury

Evolving Practices, Enduring Spirit

These households have already adapted to changing times. While animal sacrifices were once common, legal changes ended the practice years ago. Yet the essence of their traditions continues through non-vegetarian offerings that honor their history while respecting modern norms.

As the debate rages on social media—with Bengalis posting defiant food reels and political voices clashing—the Bonedi Bari families maintain a quiet certainty. Their rituals survived centuries; they intend to preserve them for centuries more, regardless of passing controversies.