Bhubaneswar, May 4: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has on Sunday called on the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to initiate an internal inquiry into the participation of Puri temple servitors in the consecration ceremony of the newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal.
Harichandan said the issue has stirred strong emotions among Lord Jagannath's devotees. “The actions of certain servitors have become an emotional matter for devotees. On behalf of the state government, we have written to the SJTA urging a thorough inquiry to uncover the truth,” he stated.
While acknowledging that servitors are free to visit other temples, Harichandan emphasized that performing rituals or conducting puja outside the Puri temple is "unethical" and a breach of their religious duties. Servitors are designated to perform rituals only at the sacred shrine of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath in Puri. Conducting such ceremonies elsewhere violates their responsibilities, and the temple administration must treat this as a serious disciplinary issue,” he added.
The controversy erupted following the inauguration of the ₹250-crore Jagannath temple in Digha on April 30 (Akhaya Trutiya) by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The event drew criticism in Odisha, especially from BJP leaders, over the temple being described as 'Jagannath Dham'—a term traditionally reserved for the Puri temple, one of the four sacred dhams in Hindu tradition.
The Digha temple, constructed on a 20-acre site and modelled after Puri’s 12th-century shrine, houses deities similar to those in the original temple.
