5 min readSep 13, 2026 08:55 PM IST First published on: Sep 13, 2026 at 08:55 PM ISTDear Express reader,Ahead of Durga Puja, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the godman who runs Bageshwar Dham, has raked up a controversy by calling on Bengali Hindus to abstain from eating non-vegetarian food during the festival, branding those who do as “pakhandis”. In much of India, vegetarianism, especially around Navratri or Sawan, has become a litmus test of devotion. But in West Bengal, the line between a bhakta (true devotee) and a bhanda (hypocrite) has never rested on dietary choices.