BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Sunday said it intended to send a letter to Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to stop referring to the recently constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as " Jagannath Dham ", even as the controversy sparked a war of words between the governing BJP and opposition.
The development coincided with claims by a senior servitor of Puri Jagannath Temple , Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, that he had helped make the idols for the Digha shrine using leftover wood from the Puri temple. Dasmohapatra was questioned Sunday by Puri temple authorities as part of an ongoing government probe into the claims.
"Action will be taken against those responsible if found guilty of illegally using Jagannath temple's sacred timber to build the idols of Digha Jagannath temple. Our CM (Mohan Majhi) will write to the Bengal government to stop branding Digha Jagannath temple as Jagannath Dham. This title is reserved for Puri, which is home to the main Jagannath temple," state law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Sunday.
Mamata's TMC repudiated the objections. "If they (BJP) question the establishment of a Hindu temple, this shows their desperation. On one hand, BJP claims to be a 'Hinduwadi' party, on the other, they are raising questions on the pratishtha (sanctity) of the (Digha) temple. If there is any question on the establishment, it should be asked by the four Shankaracharyas," TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said.
Craftsmen from Puri temple have, however, dismissed claims that excess neem wood had been used to build the three idols of the Digha shrine. According to them, the surplus wood that had been stored after making the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra during the 2015 Nabakalebara (creation of new idols) Rath Yatra, were too small, ranging between 3 and 10 inches, making them unsuitable for construction of the idols.
Opposition BJD and Congress, meanwhile, have criticised BJP for allegedly failing to handle the situation. Senior Congress neta Niranjan Patnaik said it is a matter of grave concern as the issue involves emotional connect of 4.5 crore Odias to Lord Jagannath, the Jagannath Temple, and its culture. "Odisha government must intervene to protect this heritage amid potential threats," Patnaik said.
Former CM Naveen Patnaik's BJD criticised the state government's apparent lack of initiative in protecting Jagannath culture. "Despite four days having passed since the Digha temple's inauguration on April 30, the state government has not officially raised the matter with West Bengal," senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said. BJP hit back, saying the state government has promptly intervened to address the issue. "The opposition should refrain from politicising the Jagannath culture," law minister Harichandan said.
The development coincided with claims by a senior servitor of Puri Jagannath Temple , Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, that he had helped make the idols for the Digha shrine using leftover wood from the Puri temple. Dasmohapatra was questioned Sunday by Puri temple authorities as part of an ongoing government probe into the claims.
"Action will be taken against those responsible if found guilty of illegally using Jagannath temple's sacred timber to build the idols of Digha Jagannath temple. Our CM (Mohan Majhi) will write to the Bengal government to stop branding Digha Jagannath temple as Jagannath Dham. This title is reserved for Puri, which is home to the main Jagannath temple," state law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Sunday.
Mamata's TMC repudiated the objections. "If they (BJP) question the establishment of a Hindu temple, this shows their desperation. On one hand, BJP claims to be a 'Hinduwadi' party, on the other, they are raising questions on the pratishtha (sanctity) of the (Digha) temple. If there is any question on the establishment, it should be asked by the four Shankaracharyas," TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said.
Craftsmen from Puri temple have, however, dismissed claims that excess neem wood had been used to build the three idols of the Digha shrine. According to them, the surplus wood that had been stored after making the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra during the 2015 Nabakalebara (creation of new idols) Rath Yatra, were too small, ranging between 3 and 10 inches, making them unsuitable for construction of the idols.
Opposition BJD and Congress, meanwhile, have criticised BJP for allegedly failing to handle the situation. Senior Congress neta Niranjan Patnaik said it is a matter of grave concern as the issue involves emotional connect of 4.5 crore Odias to Lord Jagannath, the Jagannath Temple, and its culture. "Odisha government must intervene to protect this heritage amid potential threats," Patnaik said.
Former CM Naveen Patnaik's BJD criticised the state government's apparent lack of initiative in protecting Jagannath culture. "Despite four days having passed since the Digha temple's inauguration on April 30, the state government has not officially raised the matter with West Bengal," senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said. BJP hit back, saying the state government has promptly intervened to address the issue. "The opposition should refrain from politicising the Jagannath culture," law minister Harichandan said.
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