Bhubaneswar: As tensions rise over the West Bengal government’s portrayal of a newly constructed temple in Digha as ‘Jagannath Dham’, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has launched an official probe into allegations that sacred wood from the Puri Jagannath Temple was secretly used to craft idols at the Digha shrine.
State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, who ordered the internal inquiry, said, “Our Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is currently touring Mumbai, will return to Bhubaneswar on Sunday and raise the issue with his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee. The people of Odisha do not accept the misuse of the title ‘Jagannath Dham’ by anyone. The term ‘Dham’ holds deep spiritual significance and cannot be used arbitrarily.”
He added that the Odisha government has no objection to the construction of Jagannath temples across the country.
“But it is unacceptable for the Lord’s devotees to recognise Digha as ‘Jagannath Dham.’ Moreover, I personally have reservations about allowing people from all religions to enter the Jagannath temple,” Harichandan said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, without directly naming Mamata Banerjee, said, “Those who have misused Lord Jagannath’s name have paid a heavy price in the past. Now, someone [referring to Banerjee] is set to suffer.”
Puri MP and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra also voiced strong opposition to the use of the “Jagannath Dham” title for the Digha temple.
“There is only one Jagannath Dham in the world, and it is in Puri. One should know that there are four Dhams in the country, and Puri is one of them. There should be no doubt that no other place can be called Jagannath Dham. Shreekhetra or Purusottama Kshetra exists only in Puri, where the Lord resides,” Patra said.
Meanwhile, SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee has begun an investigation into the alleged use of sacred wood from the Puri shrine to make the idols at the Digha temple.
This follows a statement reportedly made by senior Puri servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra to a Bengali news channel.
Local television channels aired footage of Dasmohapatra speaking in Bengali, claiming he had brought idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath made from stored sacred wood from Puri.
However, Dasmohapatra has denied the allegation, asserting that he crafted the idols from neem wood in Puri before transporting them to Digha.
As the controversy deepened, SJTA convened meetings with various Nijogs (servitor associations) of the Puri temple.
In the first phase, Padhee held discussions with key functionaries—Deulakaran, Tadhukaran, and Pattajoshi Mohapatra. Further meetings will include the four Badagrahis (bodyguards of the deities during the Rath Yatra) and three chief carpenters who construct the chariots.
Saturday, SJTA issued notices to the presidents and secretaries of all Sevayat Nijogs (servitor bodies) of the 12th-century shrine, seeking their views on the Digha temple controversy. The servitor bodies were asked to submit their opinions by 5pm Sunday.
Ramkrushna Dasmohapatra, secretary of the Daitapati Nijog and at the centre of the controversy for attending the Digha temple inauguration, has also been issued a notice to appear before the SJTA Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb of Puri Saturday said appropriate steps would be taken regarding the use of the term ‘Dham’ by the West Bengal government for the recently inaugurated temple.
Gajapati Maharaj, who is the Chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in Puri, said this while responding to a request by Padma awardee sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik. He has urged the Gajapati to come forward and protect dignity of the Jagannath Dham.
“The act of the West Bengal Chief Minister has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Lord Jagannath’s devotees around the world. According to our sacred scriptures (Shastras), there is only one organised Jagannath Dham, and it is in Puri. Using this revered title for any other location could cause religious confusion and goes against the long-standing spiritual traditions and cultural heritage of Hinduism,” he said.
In addition to Dasmohapatra, around 56 other servitors from the Puri temple reportedly attended the consecration ceremony at the Digha temple.
PTI
