What’s Behind the Controversy Surrounding West Bengal's New Jagannath Temple?

BJP's Criticism of Mamata Banerjee Over Jagannath Temple

Kolkata: The head of the BJP's Information Technology cell and central observer for West Bengal has publicly criticized Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding several controversies linked to the newly constructed Jagannath Temple, officially designated as a cultural center, located in Digha, East Midnapore district.

The Odisha Government has instructed the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration in Puri to conduct an investigation into these allegations.

Citing a statement from Ramkrishna Das Mahapatra, a sevayat from the Puri Jagannath temple, he alleged that leftover Darubrahma wood from the Puri temple was utilized to create the deities at the Digha temple, raising questions about the integrity of the Chief Minister and her party, the Trinamool Congress.

Malviya stated, "The leftover timber intended for Puri's Jagannath Temple was repurposed for the Digha deities, leading to the perception that Mamata Banerjee and her party are often labeled as thieves. The TMC operates like a corruption machine, showing no regard for our deities. The citizens of Bengal deserve better than these ongoing scandals and dubious practices."

According to Daitapati, the idol at the Digha temple, officially known as the Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre in government records, was initially planned to be crafted from marble.

However, he objected to the use of marble, insisting that traditional Darubrahma wood should be used for crafting Lord Jagannath's idol. He claimed that CM Banerjee urged him to use the leftover wood from the Puri Jagannath Mandir for the Digha deities.

Malviya's statement continued, "It is now the responsibility of the Pujapanda Sevayats and Dharmagurus to determine if this practice aligns with Hindu customs. However, Mamata Banerjee owes an explanation to the devotees of Prabhu Jagannath: why did she choose to disregard their faith by using leftover wood for the idols?"

Another significant issue is the naming of the Digha structure as the Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre, which some argue overlooks the importance of the term 'Dham' and its religious significance.

In Hindu tradition, there are four sacred Dhams, known as 'Char Dham': Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram, and Puri. According to this belief, no other temple or religious site should be referred to as a Dham, as the term holds special religious connotations.