Bhubaneswar, May 4: The West Bengal government's decision to declare the newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as “Jagannath Dham” has created backlash from religious and political quarters in Odisha.
Chief Servitor of the Puri Jagannath Temple, Daitapati Bhabani Das Mohapatra, has called the move a “political stunt” and urged the state government to withdraw the nomenclature.
Mohapatra accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of acting with “arrogance” and said the decision had deeply hurt the sentiments of the servitor community. “This is a matter of religious sanctity. You cannot randomly name any temple as a dham. This is against our faith. We request the Bengal government to revoke the title,” he said, adding that the move was politically motivated.
The controversy stems from the inauguration of a Rs 250-crore temple complex in Digha, spread over 20 acres, which was officially opened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier this week.
The 12th-century Jagannath Temple architecturally inspires the temple in Puri and houses the same deities. ( With Agency Input)
