Bhubaneswar: As the controversy over Digha rocked Odisha, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Monday clarified that surplus wood (sacred Daru) from Nabakalebar ceremony of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri was not used for the construction of idols of the new shrine in West Bengal.
The Minister told reporters that reports about alleged use of balaka (surplus) ‘daru’ wood from Puri Temple for making the idols of the new Jagannath temple at Digha were incorrect and misleading.
After holding detailed consultations with Puri temple servitors and Maharana sculptors associated with the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Minister said there is no truth to the claims that the surplus sacred ‘daru’ wood was used in construction of the idols for the Digha temple. “It is not technically possible to carve a 2.5-foot idol from such surplus wood,” he said
Information obtained from the temple servitors, especially those directly involved in idol-making, showed that no recognised daru wood had been selected or dispatched for this purpose, said Harichandan.
He said senior servitor Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, who had earlier indicated that balaka daru was used for Digha idols, has now clarified that no sacred wood was involved. The idols for Digha had been made by Sudarshan Maharana, a sculptor in Bhubaneswar, using regular neem wood, he said, adding that the idols werethen handed over to Ramakrishna Dasmahapatra, who subsequently transported it to Digha.
The Minister said that the servitor’s initial comments had created confusion among devotees who revere the traditions associated with Lord Jagannath in Puri. “His misleading remarks are under review. This is a serious matter, and we are examining appropriate steps,” Harichandan said.
The Minister further said that the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri chief administrator has submitted a report together with some recommendations after a detailed investigation into the entire episode. These will be placed before the Chief Minister for the next course of action.
Noting that Jagannath temples can be constructed anywhere, the Minister said that SHTA would soon come out with guidelines and SOP regarding rituals required to be followed by these shrines.
The SOP will be sent and circulated to all Jagannath temples so that there is uniformity in the conduct of rituals, he said.
Harichandan further stated that the state government will urge West Bengal to stop using ‘Dham’ for the new Digha temple. Similarly, naming the Digha beach as ‘Mahodadhi’ should be stopped, he said.
