BHUBANESWAR: The newly inaugurated Jagannath temple at Digha in West Bengal has sparked a massive controversy over the purported use of Daru (neem wood) that had remained unused during the Holy Trinity’s Nabakalebara in Puri in 2015 for carving the deities, and naming the shrine as Jagannath Dham.
Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Friday ordered an enquiry into the use of Daru in making the deities and the association of Srimandir servitors in its consecration ceremony.
While the naming of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham has caused a huge uproar, as the Srimandir in Puri finds place among the four Dhams, the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus in the country.
Taking cognisance of the controversy, Harichandan said, "These things, particularly the talks around use of Nabakalebara Daru, are completely unacceptable and have become a matter of great concern for devotees of Lord Jagannath worldwide and the four crore people of Odisha.
"The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has been directed to initiate an inquiry into all the allegations and anyone found guilty will face action under the provisions of law,” he added.
The Digha temple, built by the West Bengal government was inaugurated by the state’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday. The consecration was done by the secretary of Daitapati Nijog of Puri Jagannath temple, Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra. The temple will be managed by the priests of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
After the consecration ceremony, Dasmahapatra claimed in an interview to a Bengali news channel that it was he who had suggested Mamata to install wooden idols of the three deities and not stone.
On her request, he provided the idols of the deities which were made from Daru that was left unused after making the 'bigrahas' (idols) of the Trinity in Srimandir during the 2015 Nabakalebara (the ritual when new bodies are made for the Trinity from carefully selected neem wood as per the instructions of Goddess Mangala of Kakatpur), Dasmahapatra claimed.
He, however, clarified later that he never used the term 'Brahma Sthapana' (where the soul of the deities is transferred from the old to the new idols) during the consecration ceremony of Digha temple.
As Dasmahapatra drew flak from all quarters, the servitor on Friday claimed that he made no such statements. "When I had visited the Digha temple four months back, they had constructed the three idols in stone. Since, Lord Jagannath is never worshipped in any other form than neem wood, I suggested to Mamata Banerjee to make the idols in wood. Accordingly, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra, all 2.5 ft-3 ft high, were made in neem wood in Puri and taken to the Digha temple for consecration. No Daru from Nabakalebara has been used for idols in Digha temple," he told the mediapersons here.
Meanwhile, Srimandir servitors, Jagannath culture researchers and experts, devotees and prominent personalities have questioned the use of the word Dham by the West Bengal government. The neighbouring state has been advertising the temple as Jagannath Dham which the experts said is not acceptable.
Eminent sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik said there are only four 'dhams' in India, and the Jagannath dham at Puri is one of them. "The temple inaugurated in Digha cannot be a #JagannathDham. So my humble request to Hon’ble CM @MamataOfficial, please immediately order not to call it as Jagannath Dham as it hurts the sentiments of the devotees of Lord Jagannath and it also creates confusion. It misrepresents established religious practices and will create confusion across the globe for followers of Hindu/Sanatan Dharma," he wrote on his X handle.
Vice-president of Bahrain Odia Samaj Arun Kumar Praharaj urged the WB CM to refer to Skanda Purana (Shri Purusottam Khetra Mahatmya) as far as reference to Jagannath Dham is concerned and rectify the mistake.
To a query on why he did not protest mentioning the temple as Dham, Dasmahapatra said the Odisha government should take up the matter with the West Bengal government and ensure that it is changed.
Immediately after the West Bengal government had announced inauguration of the Digha temple on Akshaya Tritiya, Suar Mahasuar Nijog and Puspalaka Nijog had issued a whip on all their members to not participate in any rituals there. While the Suar Mahasuar Nijog prepares Mahaprasad in the Srimandir, the Puspalaka Nijog dresses the Trinity.