Odisha Law Minister and BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan has raised objections over the naming of the newly constructed temple in West Bengal’s Digha as Jagannath Dham, calling it “deeply offensive” to the religious sentiments of the people of Odisha.
In a letter addressed to Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration in Puri, Harichandan called for an internal inquiry into three aspects: the naming of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham, the participation of Puri temple sevayats in the consecration ceremony, and the use of Daru Katha—a sacred tradition in idol construction linked to Puri's Jagannath temple.
The controversy arose after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) ceremony of the Digha temple.
In a post on X, Banerjee wrote, "A moment to be cherished forever. The first glimpse of Lord Jagannath enshrined in the Garbhagriha of the Jagannath Temple in Digha will remain etched in my heart. I felt my spirit stir with the divine radiance emanating from the sacred idol. I had the privilege of performing the aarati and invoking the blessings of the Lord of the Universe upon our Ma, Mati, Manush."
The post and the temple’s name triggered sharp reactions from various BJP leaders and Jagannath devotees in Odisha.
Union Minister and BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar accused Banerjee of using 'religious symbolism' for political gain.
“Police did not reach Murshidabad for 4 hours, and because of this, Chandan and Hargobind Das were killed. On one side, you are killing Hindus, and on the other side, you are constructing temples. Constructing temples or mosques is not the job of the government. For the Ayodhya Ram temple, funds were raised by the people. For the Jagannath Temple in Digha, people should raise funds. Why does the state government have to get involved in this? Mamata Banerjee is trying to win the elections by climbing on the shoulders of Lord Jagannath,” he said.
Senior servitor Ramakrishna Das Mahapatra of the Puri Jagannath Temple, however, appealed for calm and welcomed the construction of the new shrine in West Bengal.
“The Jagannath temple in Digha, built by West Bengal CM, is magnificent...The Jagannath temple in Puri is the holiest dham in the four dhams...Temples are built across the world to worship Lord Jagannath...It is not good to create controversy,” he stated.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister.
“Mamata Banerjee never thinks before naming something...she gives any name...yes, people from Odisha have written to Mamata Banerjee. She used the slogan 'Jai Bangla'. People of Bangladesh objected to this...she does wrong things only...” he told reporters.
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