Puri:The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) today began its probe into alleged use of surplus wood of Puri Jagannath Temple for Digha Jagannath temple.
Senior Sevayat of Sri Mandir, Ramakrushna Dasmahaptra today appeared before the SJTA panel here. SJTA Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Padhee and senior officers questioned Shri Dasmahaptra about his controversial remark made before West Bengal media and tried to find out the reality.
However, neither the Senior Servitor of Jagannath Temple nor SJTA officers revealed anything about the probe.
Shri Dasmahapatra had attended the Digha temple’s inauguration ceremony on April 30 on invitation by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Shri Dasmahapatra, who performed the Pratishtha Puja of the Digha Jagannath Temple, had claimed that he had provided wood for the idols constructed for the temple.
On May 3, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan had ordered the SJTA for investigation into the entire incident to clear the air.
“An internal investigation should be conducted by the administration of the temple on the entire incident to bring the truth before the public,” the Minister had ordered.
Senior BJP leader and West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has welcomed the Odisha government’s decision to launch an investigation into the matter and strongly objected to naming Digha temple as “Jagannath Dham”.
“I welcome the steps taken by Shri Prithviraj Harichandan; Hon’ble Minister of Law, Works & Excise; Govt of Odisha, for a thorough investigation into the controversies involving the disgraceful conduct of persons of interest associated with the Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri,” Adhikari said on X.
The questionable involvement of Servitors, and the unauthorized use of surplus Sacred Wood (sacred Neem wood from the Nabakalebara rituals) are directly affront to ethics and morality surrounding the Jagannath Culture and centuries long traditions, he said.
The West Bengal Government have stooped to a new low with their deceitful tactics, officially labeling the Digha Project as the “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre” in documents, but promoting it as a “Jagannath Temple” to mislead devotees and exploit their faith, he further said.
Regarding the controversy of naming a newly constructed site as a “Dham” must be addressed and West Bengal Government’s duplicity should be exposed, the BJP leader said.
He further said that there are Lord Jagannath Temples across India and the world, such as in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, or even internationally in places like the USA, but they are not called “Jagannath Dham” in a way that suggests equivalence to Puri.
Replicating the Puri Jagannath Shree Mandir and passing it off as “Jagannath Dham” with the intent to rival or replace Puri’s significance is deeply inappropriate, he added.