Hindu customs defiled, temple tradition violated: West Bengal government tasks Muslims to prepare prasad for Hindu temple
Digha, West Bengal, India 
18 June, 2025
Case Summary
A controversy erupted in Digha, West Bengal, over the deliberate violation of Hindu temple traditions by the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee. The government enlisted Muslim shopkeepers to prepare the prasad for the Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal. The Jagannath Temple in Digha, a replica of the main Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 30th April 2025. BJP IT Cell Head, Amit Malviya, strongly criticised the TMC government, stating that it was trampling on Hindu sentiments with impunity in West Bengal. He shared a document on X listing the shops selected to prepare the prasad for the Jagannath temple, revealing that these were predominantly Muslim-owned establishments. Malviya highlighted that these Muslim-owned shops were responsible for preparing Gaja and Pera, the sweets distributed as prasad from the Digha Jagannath temple. He noted that in the Suti 1 Block of Murshidabad district, sweet shops and ration dealers, the majority being Muslim, had been entrusted with the preparation and distribution of Gaja and Pera, which were being offered as the sacred prasad of Lord Jagannath. He asserted that this was not mere administrative negligence but a deliberate provocation. Malviya further pointed out that, while the original Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, does not permit the entry of non-Hindus, the Mamata government was violating the sanctity of the temple by distributing prasad prepared by Muslims. He stated that in Puri, non-Hindus are still not allowed entry into the Jagannath Temple, reflecting the sanctity attached to Lord Jagannath and his traditions. Yet, in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, prasad meant for devotees of Lord Jagannath was being sourced from shops run by those who do not follow the Hindu faith. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, also condemned the distribution of Digha Jagannath Dham prasad through Muslim-run establishments, stating that it was deeply hurtful to Hindu sentiments. In response, senior Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim dismissed the concerns, calling them “mean thinking". Hakim defended the state government’s position. He stated, “Bhagawan is for everyone, and his prasad is also for everyone. This whole world is created by God, and if a prasad is for him, then it is for everyone. One who is willing will accept it, and one like Suvendu Adhikari, who is an atheist, will not accept it.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker because the West Bengal government deliberately violated the established rules of a Hindu temple by enlisting Muslim-owned establishments to prepare prasad for Jagannath Dham in Digha. In Sanatan Dharma, while many temples and spaces are open to people from all religions, there are specific areas within temples, and, in some cases, entire temples that are strictly reserved for practising Hindus only. These rules are not arbitrary; they are deeply rooted in historical and cultural traditions that date back centuries. Offerings from non-Hindus are not permitted in such temples, as seen in the original Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. The practice of restricting entry to non-Hindus and prohibiting their offerings or prasad is centuries old and remains integral to the temple's customs and traditions. This rule even applied to a Gajapati King who was once denied entry inside the Puri Jagannath temple because he had married the daughter of a Mughal soldier. Despite being fully aware of these established rules and the sanctity of the Jagannath temple, the West Bengal government’s actions at Jagannath Dham in Digha constitute a clear case of a targeted attack on Hindu sentiments. The decision to engage Muslim-owned shops in the preparation and distribution of prasad for a Hindu temple is a direct violation of sacred Hindu traditions. In Hinduism, the sanctity of a temple's rituals is paramount. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the sanctum of some major temples like the original Jagannath Temple in Puri, nor are they allowed to prepare or handle prasad. These rules are essential for preserving the purity and spiritual significance of Hindu worship. By disregarding these traditions, the TMC government displayed blatant disrespect for the deeply held beliefs of the Hindu community. The Digha Jagannath Temple, inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a replica of the revered Puri temple, was supposed to uphold the same standards of ritual purity. Instead, the government’s actions have undermined the temple’s sanctity and insulted the faith of all Hindu devotees. This is, in fact, not a case of administrative error or oversight; it is a deliberate provocation intended to disrupt and disrespect Hindu religious practices. Such insensitive decisions stem from animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs, which is why this case is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
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