Fact Check: Traditional Kali Idol Immersion in West Bengal Misrepresented as Vandalism in Bangladesh

Created By: Logically Facts

Co-Published By: LokmatTimes.com

Religious tensions in Bangladesh have intensified following the arrest of a Hindu religious leader in Chittagong. Amid this, a video has gone viral on social media, allegedly showing a Kali idol being vandalized. The clip depicts two men, lifted by a crowd, breaking apart the idol and severing its head, with another damaged idol visible nearby. On X, a user claimed, “While Hindu temples in Bangladesh are under attack and deities are being desecrated, leaders are profiting from importing essential items like potatoes, spices, lentils, and eggs from India.” Similar claims have been widely shared, with archived versions circulating online. This article aims to fact-check the validity of this claim.

Fact: The viral claim is false as a detailed investigation by Logically Facts revealed that the video was actually filmed in Sultanpur, Purba Burdwan district, West Bengal, during a traditional Kali idol immersion ritual. This ritual, which occurs every 12 years, involves breaking the idol into pieces before immersion. Similar footage was found on Instagram and YouTube, confirming the event’s cultural context. A comparison of the viral clip with these videos showed identical features, such as the semi-broken idol, a second damaged idol nearby, and the same wall designs in the background. The two men involved—one wearing a blue shirt and the other a checked shirt—also appear in both videos.

Further investigation led to a six-minute video on Facebook, which included the viral footage. This extended clip shows the idol being broken apart, carried by participants, and eventually immersed. The caption identified the event as “Sultanpur Kiranmoyi Pathagar’s Maa Kali idol immersion after 12 years.” The Facebook page of Sultanpur Kiranmoyi Pathagar, a local club in Purba Burdwan, had shared multiple videos of the event, confirming it took place on November 26.

Debashish Mondal, a member of the club, verified the video’s origin. He explained, “This footage is from our Kali Maa temple in Sultanpur. Breaking the idol before immersion is a 500-year-old tradition that we follow every 12 years. The idol, standing 12 feet tall, is too large to immerse without dismantling it. This custom includes breaking the idol’s head and immersing the pieces in a pond, with significant local participation. It has no connection to the conflict in Bangladesh or any communal issue.” This was further corroborated by a report from the Bengali newspaper Dainik Statesman, which described the traditional Kali idol immersion ritual in Sultanpur. Based on these findings, the viral video has no communal significance and is falsely linked to the religious tensions in Bangladesh.

This story was originally published by Logically Facts and  republished by LokmatTimes.com  as part of the Shakti Collective.