Bhubaneswar: The construction of a Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal, has sparked a strong reaction in Odisha, particularly among devotees and a section of servitors of Lord Jagannath. The naming of the temple as ‘Digha Jagannath Dham’ and the installation of Brahma have been strongly opposed, with many questioning the motives behind the project.
Padma Shri awardee Sudarshan Patnaik, a former member of the Srimandir management committee, has written a letter to the Chief Minister of Odisha, urging him to intervene in the matter. Patnaik and other devotees have expressed concerns that the construction of the temple in Digha could undermine the dignity of the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is one of the Charidham and a major pilgrimage site.
The controversy has also raised fears that the Digha Jagannath Temple could pose a threat to Puri’s tourism industry, which relies heavily on Bengali tourists.
Many have questioned the involvement of some Daitapati servitors from Puri in the consecration ceremony of the Digha temple, further fueling the controversy. While some have welcomed the idea of a Jagannath temple in Digha, others have emphasized that it should not be referred to as Jagannath Dham, as this could be seen as diminishing the significance of the Puri temple.
In protest against this temple in Digha, the Maha Suara Niyog of Shrimandir had put up notices on all four gates a few days ago, asking no one to participate in the Rosh program (cooking of prasad) there. But despite this, there has been strong opposition to the secretary of the Daitapati Nijog himself and some other Daitapati Sevaks joining the temple’s inauguration ceremony.
Even so, some senior servitors expressed dissatisfaction, saying that those who have gone to Digha are not servitors but religious traders. “No one can take the place of Puri,” said Ramakrishna Das Mahapatra, a senior servitor of Puri temple, in his response.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate, with many calling for the Odisha government to take action to protect the interests of the Puri temple and its devotees.
