Durga Puja 2026: How Bengal’s biggest festival became a cultural battleground

Durga Puja in Bengal has never solely been a religious festival. It is also a festival of art, literature, food, music and community. For millions, pandal-hopping is a cultural exercise which brings together social and religious boundaries.

But in 2026, the festival was set against a backdrop of changed politics. The ruling BJP government, new in post, imposed restrictions on the way the celebrations were held.

The annual Durga Puja Carnival was cancelled, restrictions were announced on liquor sales and DJ music, and the government placed renewed emphasis on traditional religious practices. Disputes surrounded political bookstalls, food habits, artistic expression and immersion rituals.

The question was not whether Durga Puja should retain its religious significance but whether one interpretation would take precedence over its cultural identity.

Traditional idols and the question of artistic freedom

One of the most visible developments this year was the renewed emphasis on traditional depictions of Goddess Durga.

Adhikari had urged organisers to avoid any themes that could hurt religious sentiments or undermine Sanatan traditions. However, the government did not impose a blanket ban on theme-based pujas.

Artisans in Kumartuli, Kolkata's idol-making hub, reported a drop in demand for theme-based idols. Their number fell from around 150 in 2025 to around 10 this year, although estimates varied. Artisans and puja organisers also described being pressured to revert to conventional depictions of the goddess.

The drop raises questions about the pressures on artists, but not whether the government banned artistic experimentation.

For years, Kolkata's theme-based pujas have made pandals hubs of social commentary, historical narratives and contemporary art. The question this year was how far artistic reinterpretation could extend without hurting religious sentiments.

Supporters of the government's stand describe the emphasis on traditional idols as a return to religious authenticity. Critics could reasonably question whether political messaging and concerns about religious offence would deter artistic experimentation.

Nationalism enters the pandal

The changing political climate was also seen in some prominent puja themes.

Santosh Mitra Square opted for Vande Mataram, drawing on the song's historical importance and India's freedom struggle. The puja is associated with BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh, who has advocated preserving traditional depictions of the goddess. It sought to connect religious celebration with national identity.

Hindu mythology and religious epics also remained rich sources of inspiration for pandal organisers. These themes, however, should not be seen as evidence of political pressure. Religious stories and nationalism have long been influences on Bengal's public art and cultural life.

The broader question was what happens when these themes appear alongside political appeals to privilege a particular understanding of religious identity.

A nationalist theme is not inherently exclusionary as is a traditional idol not inherently opposed to artistic freedom. The significance was the wider political context and whether alternative expressions were welcome.

Bageshwar Baba's food appeal: When faith met Bengali food culture

One of the most heated controversies began ahead of Durga Puja, when religious preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, spoke out on Bengal's food habits.

Shastri was attending a Hanumant Katha programme at Liluah in Howrah from 4 to 6 September. Suvendu Adhikari attended the opening event on 4 September and invited Shastri to set up a Bageshwar Dham centre in West Bengal.

On 6 September, on the concluding day of the programme, Shastri appealed to Bengali Hindus not to cook or eat fish and meat during Durga Puja. He also urged that non-vegetarian food should not be sold near Durga idols. In his comments, he described those who disregarded his appeal as pakhandi, which means hypocritical.

The comments drew a backlash, because fish and meat are deeply engrained in Bengali food culture, including among many practising Hindus. Critics felt the appeal was an attempt to impose a uniform dietary expectation on a community with varied religious customs.

The political response was significant in that the controversy involved a religious figure who had shared a platform with the new Chief Minister.

On 7 September, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya stressed that nobody could dictate food and attire. He said Shastri was expressing his personal views, not outlining a position that Bengalis were obliged to follow.

Adhikari took a different approach. On 10 September, he defended Shastri's right to express a religious opinion, saying people could choose whether to accept it. The same day, the Chief Minister visited Kalighat Kali Temple and ate fish and pulao offered as bhog. The gesture drew considerable political and media attention amid the controversy.

The distinction is important: Shastri made an appeal; the state government did not impose a general ban on eating fish and meat during Durga Puja.

The controversy, however, raised the wider question of who got to define religious observance in Bengal. Food is not merely a matter of personal preference; it is also an important part of the region's cultural identity. Festive meals are inseparable from the celebrations for many Bengalis.

The episode highlighted differences within the BJP's wider political and religious constituency. It also revealed that appeals made in the name of religious tradition could face resistance if they overlooked the diversity of customs.

CPI(M) bookstalls: A dispute over religion and political expression

The controversy over Left-wing bookstalls was another flashpoint.

CPI(M) and other Left organisations have long set up temporary bookstalls near pandals, selling political literature, party books and other titles. These have been spaces for political discussion during Bengal's festive season.

In September, Adhikari urged puja committees not to allow CPI(M) bookstalls that used the word Sharodotsav, which means an autumn festival, instead of referring to Durga Puja. He argued that the term diluted the festival's religious significance.

During the festival, Left organisations reported attacks, vandalism and attempts to remove their bookstalls at several venues. At Jadavpur, a dispute over a CPI(M) stall escalated as a group arrived with machinery to demolish it. Police and municipal officials were also present and Left supporters pushed back the attempted removal. The CPI(M) alleged that other stalls had been vandalised across Bengal.

The allegations of political involvement were contested. It is important to distinguish between reports of vandalism, allegations of who was responsible, and disputes whether particular stalls had the required police permission.

A separate legal development came on 21 October when the Calcutta High Court dismissed a CPI(M) petition seeking protection against an alleged attempt to dismantle its temporary bookstall outside Jadavpur Coffee House. The court noted that the necessary permission had not been obtained, despite money being deposited with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation while applying. The ruling concerned that particular stall and did not establish who was responsible for every act of vandalism across the state.

The controversy also revealed differences within the broader political landscape. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya distanced the party from the attacks, and senior BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta condemned the vandalism. The claim that RSS leader Jishnu Basu also defended the Left's right to operate bookstalls could not be independently verified and has therefore been removed.

The dispute was more than a choice of terminology. It raised questions of political expression, access to public spaces, and whether ideological disagreement should determine who gets to participate in the cultural life surrounding Durga Puja.

The carnival is cancelled, the festive calendar changes

The government changed the way the state organised its principal Durga Puja celebrations.

The annual Durga Puja Carnival on Red Road was cancelled. Introduced by the previous Trinamool Congress government, it had seen prominent puja committees display idol displays and cultural performances after the main festival.

The new administration organised a large Mahalaya programme at Eden Gardens, featuring cultural performances, a drone show and fireworks. The government announced restrictions on liquor sales on Maha Ashtami and DJ music during puja celebrations and immersion processions. It also urged organisers not to inaugurate pandals before Mahalaya.

These changes were presented as measures to underscore tradition, discipline and public safety.

It would be inaccurate to describe them as the removal of culture from the festival. The government itself organised large cultural events. Rather, it changed the timing, format and priorities of its central celebrations.

The cancellation of the Red Road Carnival was significant because the event had become a prominent spectacle combining religious imagery with cultural performances.

The shift raises questions about how the state chooses to represent Durga Puja, but not necessarily an attempt to erase Bengali culture.

Who controls the puja committees?

The political transition was also seen in the leadership of prominent puja committees.

Reports from several sources documented changes in the political figures associated with several well-known pujas, including Sreebhumi, Suruchi Sangha and Hathibagan Sarbojanin. BJP leaders have assumed prominent roles previously associated with figures linked to the outgoing Trinamool Congress government.

Some of the new organisers presented the changes as an effort to return the pujas to local communities, rather than leave them tied to particular political leaders.

However, changes in leadership do not necessarily establish government interference. Political patronage has long been part of Bengal's puja culture, including under previous administrations.

The more important question is whether committees remain accountable to local residents and whether decisions on themes, artistic expression and public participation are made transparently.

The change in government changed the political landscape surrounding the pujas. Whether it also changes the relationship between organisers and local communities will require closer scrutiny.

Chorbagan incident: When celebration turned into tragedy

On 17 October, a stampede at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja in north Kolkata killed 19 people and injured 25.

An investigation identified several potential contributing factors, including narrow lanes, a single exit, heavy rain, inadequate crowd management and announcements that reportedly triggered panic. Police sources stated that barricades had been breached repeatedly in the days preceding the incident. Seven people were arrested, including the puja committee's secretary and vice-president, and remanded to police custody. Arrests do not establish guilt, and the allegations must be examined through the legal process.

The tragedy raised urgent questions of crowd control, emergency exits, the responsibilities of organisers and the preparedness of the authorities.

The committee's political background became part of the public debate. However, that background does not establish a causal connection to the stampede. Responsibility must be determined through evidence and investigation.

A significant update was on 21 October: the West Bengal government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati, to investigate the tragedy. It was given three months to submit its findings and recommendations. It will look into the sequence of events, crowd movement, entry and exit arrangements, weather conditions, possible safety failures and the response of the relevant agencies.

The inquiry is expected to establish what happened and whether failures by organisers or authorities contributed to the deaths. Until its findings are available, specific explanations for the stampede should be attributed to investigators or reported sources.

The tragedy also brought the festival's wider responsibilities into focus. Beyond questions of faith and identity, public celebrations need adequate safety arrangements and accountability when those arrangements fail.

Who gets to touch the goddess?

The debate over religious identity extended to immersion rituals.

On 21 October, Adhikari stated that only followers of Sanatan Dharma would be allowed to touch Durga idols during immersion in the Hooghly. He presented the instruction as a measure to preserve religious tradition.

The announcement raised questions of who could participate in a public ritual and how the restriction would be implemented. The scope of the instruction and its practical and legal implications should not be assumed without further evidence.

For supporters, the statement concerned protecting religious customs. Critics could regard it as an attempt to define participation via religious identity.

The distinction between a religious ceremony and a public celebration is not always clear. Immersion is a religious ritual, but its organisation also involves workers, volunteers, civic agencies and members of the wider community.

The announcement added another dimension to the debate over who gets to participate in Bengal's public festivals.

A festival with competing meanings

Durga Puja 2026 was shaped by a series of changes and controversies: renewed emphasis on traditional idols, nationalist themes, disputes over political bookstalls, arguments over food, the cancellation of the Red Road Carnival, changes in committee leadership and the immersion announcement.

These developments do not all prove a coordinated attempt to erase the festival's secular character. Some were administrative decisions, others were statements by religious figures, and still others involved allegations subject to investigation.

Yet, taken together, they raise an important question about the future of Bengal's most prominent public festival.

Durga Puja has always been religious. It has also been a celebration of artistic freedom, literature, food, music and community participation. These dimensions need not compete with one another.

The food controversy showed how religious appeals could become disputes over cultural identity. The bookstall incidents raised questions of political expression and access to public spaces. Changes to the carnival and puja committees reflected a shift in political priorities, while the immersion announcement brought religious identity into the discussion of public participation.

The Chorbagan tragedy added a more urgent concern of accountability and public safety.

The question is not whether Durga Puja should be religious or cultural. It has always been both. The real contest in 2026 was over who gets to define the festival, and whether Bengal can preserve its religious traditions without narrowing the cultural space that has made Durga Puja a celebration for so many.