A flex banner at the entrance of Kankalitala temple in Bolpur, Suri, has declared that only Hindus will be allowed to perform puja at the shrine, one of Birbhum’s five Shakti Peethas, sparking controversy and debate over access and tradition. The placard was reportedly put up on Monday evening by unidentified youths claiming to belong to a group called “Sanatan Paksha,” and has since become a flashpoint in local discussions about religious inclusion and temple management.
Temple priest Baidyanath Chakraborty said the committee has “neither removed the banner nor endorsed it,” making clear that the sign does not reflect an official policy decision. He stressed that “no one is prohibited from entering the temple compound,” but added that, in practice, it is usually Hindus who offer puja before the murti, suggesting that the banner escalates an informal custom into a visible, exclusionary message.
Senior priest Pulak Chatterjee of Tarapith, another major Shakti Peetha in Birbhum, pointed out that there is no formal restriction or verification process for devotees there, and that several non‑Hindu visitors, including VIPs, have paid tribute in the past without any dispute. His remarks highlight how such “Hindus‑only” messaging at Kankalitala stands in tension with older, more open practices at other prominent temples in the region.
The local BJP unit has publicly distanced itself from the flex. Shyamapada Mondal, president of the BJP’s Bolpur organisational district unit, said he had no information about the banner and asserted that the party opposes imposing new rules on places of worship, emphasising that temples should be governed by their own authorities rather than external political groups.
The incident has drawn attention to the growing debate over “Hindu‑only” entry at Shakti and other temples, raising questions about how Sanatana Dharma can uphold both religious tradition and the broader spirit of inclusion that has long marked many major Bengali shrines.
