Society · 17 Sep 2026

Durga Puja Shakta tradition

Consider the following statements:

  1. Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who urged Bengali Hindus to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, is the chief priest of Bageshwar Dham located in Madhya Pradesh.
  2. In the Shakta tradition, both Durga and Kali are regarded as forms of Shakti, the divine feminine.
  3. Suvendu Adhikari became the Chief Minister of West Bengal after the BJP formed the state government in May 2025.
A1 only
B2 only
C1 and 2 only
D1, 2 and 3
This question is based on: Two ideas of faith, a party's two faces
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 17 Sep 2026
About this question

Why in news

Bageshwar Dham's Dhirendra Krishna Shastri called on Bengali Hindus to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, prompting BJP's own West Bengal leadership, including CM Suvendu Adhikari, to publicly break from the purity code by eating fish on camera.

Why for UPSC

UPSC often tests whether a current-affairs event is understood alongside its underlying static concept - here, the Shakta tradition's theology - while also checking precision on recently reported dates, a common source of avoidable errors.

Prelims summary

Bageshwar Dham's chief priest is based in Madhya Pradesh; the Shakta tradition worships Shakti (encompassing both Durga and Kali) and has historically treated non-vegetarian offerings as legitimate devotion, not deviation. BJP formed the West Bengal government in May 2026.

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