Probe into alleged use of Puri wood in Digha temple
As tensions rise over 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.
Bhubaneswar: As tensions rise over 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.” The Odisha government has no objection to the construction of Jagannath temples across the country, he added.
“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 said, “Those who have misused Lord Jagannath’s name have paid a heavy price in the past. Now, someone 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 Dasmahapatra to a Bengali news channel.
Local television channels aired footage of Dasmahapatra speaking in Bengali, claiming he had brought idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath made from stored sacred wood from Puri. However, Dasmahapatra has denied the allegation, asserting that he crafted the idols from neem wood in Puri before transporting them to Digha.
As the controversy deepened, the 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.
On 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 5 pm on Sunday.
Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, 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 on Sunday. In addition to Dasmahapatra, around 56 other servitors from the Puri temple reportedly attended the consecration ceremony at the Digha temple.
