Bhubaneswar, March 3: A tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman’s thigh has sparked outrage in Odisha, resulting in a police case being filed against her. A photograph of the tattoo, which the woman had inked at a Bhubaneswar tattoo parlour, went viral on social media and led to protests from Jagannath devotees. According to a police officer, the woman works for a non-governmental organization.
On Sunday, a few devotees of Lord Jagannath lodged a complaint at the Sahid Nagar police station, which led to a case being registered under Section 299 of the Indian Penal Code (for deliberately and maliciously outraging the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or beliefs).
One of the complainants, Subrat Mohani, expressed his displeasure, saying, "Getting a tattoo of Lord Jagannath in such an inappropriate place deeply hurts our sentiments. It is an insult to all Jagannath devotees and Hindus in general. We filed an FIR demanding legal action against those responsible."
In response to the controversy, both the foreign woman and the tattoo parlour owner issued public apologies on social media. In a video, the woman, with folded hands, apologized, stating, “I never intended to disrespect Lord Jagannath. I am a sincere devotee and visit the temple daily. I made a mistake, and I am truly sorry for it. I asked the artist to ink the tattoo in a discreet location, never intending to cause any trouble. I regret my actions and, once it heals, I will have it removed. Please forgive me for my mistake.”
The tattoo shop owner explained that the woman had specifically requested the Lord Jagannath tattoo on her thigh. He said, “Our staff advised her against this and suggested she get it on her arm instead, but she insisted on having it on her thigh. I sincerely apologize for what has happened. I was not at the shop at the time. The tattoo artist will either cover up or remove the tattoo after 25 days, as removing it now could cause an infection.”
The woman has assured the tattoo parlour owner that she will return to the shop to either remove or cover up the tattoo once it has healed.
