BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was accorded a grand public felicitation at the Puri town hall on Monday in recognition of his efforts that led to the removal of the word ‘Dham’ from the Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal.
The event organised by the Shri Jagannath Bhakta Seva Sansthan, and attended by saints, servitors and devotees, expressed gratitude to the chief minister for his intervention to protect Jagannath culture and spiritual identity of the state.
Addressing the gathering, Majhi said, according to Sanatan traditions and scriptures, Puri is the world’s only Shree Jagannath Dham. He asserted that the state government will act as a vigilant guardian of Jagannath culture, its traditions and the scriptural practices of Jagannath temple.
The chief minister said the use of the term ‘Dham’ for the Jagannath temple at Digha had hurt the sentiments of Odias and devotees across the the globe. The state government took up the matter through Puri MP Sambit Patra, leading to discussions with West Bengal’s new leadership, and the subsequent withdrawal of the term.
“In Odisha, Mahaprabhu Jagannath is the true ruler and the office of the chief minister is merely an instrument of public service. Those who indulged in politics or displayed arrogance in the name of Mahaprabhu have faced the consequences in elections because there is no place for arrogance before Kalia Saantha,” Majhi said.
He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to preserving the temple’s traditions and highlighted the welfare measures including the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana which has enabled poor and elderly devotees to visit Puri and partake Mahaprasad free of cost.
Speaking on the occasion, MP Patra described Puri as the only authentic Jagannath Dham in the world and welcomed the construction of the Digha temple while stressing the importance of preserving Puri’s unique spiritual status.
Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Pipili MLA Ashrit Pattanayak, Puri MLA Sunil Kumar Mohanty, Brahmagiri MLA Upasana Mahapatra, Satyabadi MLA Om Prakash Mishra, and temple servitors and spiritual leaders were present at the event.