Billboard with Goddess Durga beside pot of biryani sparks row in Hooghly

An artist prepares an idol of Goddess Durga at his workshop on October 12, 2026 | Photo Credit: ANI A billboard of a biryani outlet featuring an image of Goddess Durga next to a pot of biryani has sparked a controversy in West Bengal's Hooghly, with a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA alleging it had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. The poster was placed outside a high-rise residential complex in Uttarpara's Hindmotor area. It featured a Bengali tagline that translates to ‘Devotion to the Goddess this puja... rockstar flavour’.A group of locals gathered in front of the poster on Sunday (October 11, 2026), questioning who had authorised the use of the goddess's image alongside a non-vegetarian dish, a police official said. The shopkeeper was later asked to remove all such posters, the official said.The BJP's Uttarpara MLA Dipanjan Chakraborty demanded the immediate removal of the poster. "This cannot be tolerated. It is not about eating non-vegetarian food. How can anyone dare to put up an image of Maa Durga alongside biryani?" he said, claiming the billboard had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Legal action would be taken if similar advertisements were found in future, he said.Earlier, a row erupted when a religious outfit circulated a poster in Siliguri, urging people to buy biryani only from Hindu shopkeepers. "Nobody is asking not to eat biryani. Eat it, but from Hindu shops," the poster circulated on Sunday (October 11, 2026) by the Hindu Jagaran Manch, which is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent, said. These incidents have taken place in the background of an ongoing controversy to keep non-vegetarian food away from Durga Puja pandals. On August 26, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad issued a demand that non-vegetarian food be kept away from Durga Puja pandals to maintain the sanctity of the religious festival. Against the backdrop of this row, the chief priest of Bageshwar Dham, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, made a similar appeal on September 7. In Frames | Kumartuli: where clay comes aliveExpert strokes: While some workshops retain the traditional shabeki style, others experiment with contemporary designs to meet specific commissions.Work in progress: Ahead of Durga Puja, artisans perfect clay idols of Goddess Durga, Lord Ganesh and other deities at Kumartuli in Kolkata.Basic coat: An artisan sprays paint on a clay idol at Kumartuli, where few women have broken barriers to enter the traditionally male-dominated craft.Divine details: Idols cost between ₹50,000 and ₹3 lakh, depending on their size, with eco-friendly colours adding to the making charge.Decked to impress: People crowd around to photograph an idol of Goddess Durga as it is readied for transport from Kumartuli.Form to faith: Artisans breathe life into the clay idols that will soon grace puja pandals and move devoteesMoulded by time:For many artisan families, idol-making is a generations-old tradition, with Durga Puja believed to have been first celebrated in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, in 1606.Festive flair: One of Kolkata’s most celebrated festivals, Durga Puja brings communities together in a celebration of faith while providing a livelihood for many.Young fans: Visitors take selfies and pose for photographs beside unfinished idols of Goddess Durga at Kumartuli.1/3They triggered sharp reactions, with many describing them as an attempt to impose vegetarianism. Several BJP leaders distanced themselves from the controversy, stating they were not against people who preferred non-vegetarian food during puja. While campaigning for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, the BJP leadership tried hard to convince the electorate that the party did not seek to impose vegetarianism, with party leaders displaying fish prominently. Published - October 12, 2026 09:35 pm IST