With West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Digha on Wednesday, various servitors’ groups of the Puri Jagannath Temple opposed the move and warned its members against participating in the rituals.
The Puri servitors’ groups, like the Suar Mahasuar Nijog that prepares the food offerings (bhog) and the Puspalaka Nijog that dresses the deities, have put notices around the Puri temple warning servitors not to participate in the performance of any rituals of the Digha Jagannath Temple.
“We welcome the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple at Digha. There are many Jagannath temples across the world, but the rituals of the original temple, which are performed as per mythology, should be preserved. If all the rituals of Puri Jagannath temple are performed everywhere, the significance of the original temple will be diluted,” said Padmanava Mahasuar, president of the Suar Mahasuar Nijog.
In its poster, the Suar Nijog said its members should not participate in the preparation of bhog at any temple other than the Puri temple.
The Puspalaka Nijog condemned the promotional slogan for the Digha Jagannath Temple that says “no need to go to Puri to see Jagannath Dham and sea” and “Jagannath Dham is here now”. It has warned servitors against participating in rituals like aarti and the dressing of the deity on the day of the inauguration or thereafter.
“Any member found defying the order will face strict action,” read the notice signed by the secretary of Puspalaka Nijog, Harekrushna Singhari.
The 213-foot-tall temple at Digha, designed as an exact replica of the 12th-century Puri Jagannath Temple, has been built in accordance with the Kalingan architectural style using sandstone. Like the Puri temple, it is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Goddess Mahalaxmi.
The West Bengal Chief Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the temple on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, which is considered auspicious for new beginnings.
The rituals leading up to the “Pran Pratistha” have commenced, with a “Kalash Yatra” performed by devotees on Saturday.
The temple project, announced in 2019, started construction in May 2022 under the supervision of the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO).
