Digha/Bhubaneswar, May 3 — The newly inaugurated Jagannath Temple in Digha, West Bengal, has triggered a fresh religious and administrative controversy. After the grand consecration ceremony held on Akshaya Tritiya, the Odisha government has now launched a probe into key aspects of the event, including the participation of sevayats (priests) from Puri’s original Jagannath Temple and the type of wood used to craft the deity in Digha.
Odisha Law Minister Demands Inquiry
According to a report by The Indian Express, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has written to the Chief Administrator of the Puri Jagannath Temple, Aravind Kumar Padhi, demanding an internal investigation. The probe aims to verify who from the Puri temple attended the Digha ceremony and under what protocol or permission.
Rajesh Dayitapati’s Role Under Scrutiny
Sources indicate that one of Puri’s prominent sevayats, Rajesh Dayitapati, led a team of priests who conducted the first phase of the pran-pratishtha (idol consecration) inside closed doors on May 1 between 11:10 AM and 11:30 AM. This has raised questions within the Odisha administration, as religious protocol generally requires prior approval before such involvement outside Puri.
Speculation Over Use of Neem Wood
A major concern is the material used in making the idol. It is rumored that the idol in Digha was made using surplus neem wood left over from the construction of Puri’s idols. While ISKCON and temple authorities in Digha have not officially confirmed this, Odisha officials are reportedly keen to trace the origin of the wood to ensure there was no unauthorized usage of sacred materials.
ISKCON’s Full Control Raises Questions
Following the initial consecration by Puri priests, ISKCON took over the remaining rituals. At around 12:30 PM on the same day, ISKCON’s own priests consecrated a separate stone idol of Jagannath. The temple is now fully operated and maintained by ISKCON under a trust announced by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. This transition has not gone down well with some traditionalists in Odisha.
Controversy Over the Use of ‘Jagannath Dham’ Name
Previously, Odisha had already expressed formal objection to the naming of Digha’s temple complex as ‘Jagannath Dham’, arguing that the title is historically and religiously associated with Puri, one of Hinduism’s Char Dham pilgrimage sites. The use of the same title elsewhere is seen as an infringement on Odisha’s cultural and religious heritage.
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