PTI image SURI: A flex put up at the entrance of Kankalitala temple in Bolpur on Monday evening declares only Hindus would be allowed to offer puja at the shrine, one of Birbhum’s five Shakti Peethas.According to local residents, the banner was installed by unidentified youths claiming affiliation to “Sanatan Paksha”.“We have neither removed the banner nor endorsed it,” said temple priest Baidyanath Chakraborty.“No one is prohibited from entering the temple compound, but usually Hindus offer puja before the deity,” the priest said.Pulak Chatterjee, senior priest of Tarapith temple, another major shrine in Birbhum, said there is no restriction or verification process for devotees there. He said several non-Hindu VIPs have visited the temple and paid tribute in the past without controversy, underlining how such exclusionary messaging is at odds with Bengal’s temple traditions.BJP’s local unit denied any involvement. Shyamapada Mondal, president of BJP’s Bolpur unit, said he had no information about the flex. “We don’t want to impose any new regulation for any place of worship. A temple should be run by the temple authority,” he said.Follow the latest election results 2026, live updates, winner lists, constituency-wise results, party-wise trends and full coverage for Tamil Nadu election results, West Bengal election results, Kerala election results, Assam election results and Puducherry election results results on Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDMK Hits Out As Congress Directs TNCC To Take Final Call On Vijay’s Support Request’Historic, Decisive’: Trump Congratulates PM Modi Over BJP’s Win In Bengal ElectionsDefeat but ‘Moral Win’? Mamata Targets EC, Hints At BIGGER Opposition AlliancePower Bank Catches Fire On IndiGo Hyderabad-Chandigarh Flight, All Passengers And Crew EvacuatedIndia Seeks To Lease Three Ultra Heavy Lift Helicopters To Boost CapabilityAIMIM Chief Owaisi Says Muslim Votes Wasted on Secular Parties, Calls for ShiftKejriwal Alleges BJP “Robbed” Punjab of Rajya Sabha Seats, Vows Political Revenge“Democracy Being Mocked”: Bhagwant Mann Meets President Over Defection of 7 AAP Rajya Sabha MPsNCERT Clears Revised Class 8 Textbook After Judiciary Chapter Row And Public ApologyPM Modi call Fujairah Attack ‘Unacceptable’, Three Indians Injured In UAE123Photostories10 popular baby girl names starting with letter RMorning affirmation at 5 AM: What your mind needs to hear todayWatermelon vs. mango: Which is better for summer nutrition and the right way to consume5 unique national parks in South America where waterfalls, wildlife and wilderness come aliveHow to make Chef Ranveer Brar-Style Lucknowi Dal Falaknuma at homeOlder than dinosaurs? 5 prehistoric-era animals that still walk the Earth todayKaran Johar to Ananya Birla:Indian stars who stole the show at Met Gala 2026From ‘The Dark Knight’ to ‘Brokeback Mountain’: Heath Ledger’s top films to stream on OTT right nowA fresh, green home without the effort: Plants that thrive even when you forget8 ‘weird’ dog behaviours explained: What your pet is really trying to tell you123Hot PicksBarrackpore election resultTiruchirappalli election resultMettupalayam election resultsEttumanoor election resultPerambur election resultBagnan election resultKazhakkoottam election resultTop TrendingNFL Trade RumorsRahul GandhiBadruddin AjmalIPL Playoff Qualification ScenariosIPL 2026 Points TableMI IPL Playoff Qualification ScenariosJalandhar BlastNEET 2026: Exam-day guideSRMJEEE 2026 Phase 1 ResultTVK Chief Vijay
SURI: A flex put up at the entrance of Kankalitala temple in Bolpur on Monday evening declares only Hindus would be allowed to offer puja at the shrine, one of Birbhum’s five Shakti Peethas.According to local residents, the banner was installed by unidentified youths claiming affiliation to “Sanatan Paksha”.“We have neither removed the banner nor endorsed it,” said temple priest Baidyanath Chakraborty.“No one is prohibited from entering the temple compound, but usually Hindus offer puja before the deity,” the priest said.Pulak Chatterjee, senior priest of Tarapith temple, another major shrine in Birbhum, said there is no restriction or verification process for devotees there. He said several non-Hindu VIPs have visited the temple and paid tribute in the past without controversy, underlining how such exclusionary messaging is at odds with Bengal’s temple traditions.BJP’s local unit denied any involvement. Shyamapada Mondal, president of BJP’s Bolpur unit, said he had no information about the flex. “We don’t want to impose any new regulation for any place of worship. A temple should be run by the temple authority,” he said.
