Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued a showcause notice to senior Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra for his alleged remarks regarding the construction of idols at a newly built temple in Digha, West Bengal.
Dasmahapatra has been directed to submit his explanation within seven days. The notice warns that failure to provide a satisfactory response within the stipulated time frame will result in disciplinary action under the provisions of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.
The action comes in the wake of media reports alleging that surplus neem wood (Daru) from the 2015 Nabakalebar rituals at the Puri Jagannath Temple was used to construct idols for the Digha shrine.
It was further alleged that Dasmahapatra had claimed in interviews with certain West Bengal-based media outlets that he transported the sacred wood from Puri to Digha.
However, Dasmahapatra later denied these statements in the Odisha media, saying, “This is a false report. I have never told this to any news channel.”
The SJTA noted that such contradictory statements have led to confusion among devotees and may have undermined the sanctity of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Following the controversy, the Odisha state government had directed the SJTA to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter and verify whether any surplus sacred wood from the Puri temple was taken to Digha for idol construction.
