Bhubaneswar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday broke her silence on the raging controversy, stemming from the recent inauguration of a replica of the 12th-century shrine in neighbouring Digha.
“We respect the temple in Puri and we also respect Jagannath Dham. Kaali Temple and Gurdwaras are everywhere across the country. Lord Shiva temples are also found everywhere. Temples are there in all places. We don’t question BJP on temples. Why is there so much anger on this issue?,” she asked while responding to reporters.
TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose also called out BJP over its ‘fake Hindu identity’. “#LordJagannath does not belong to a particular political party. Shrines and deities cut across states and boundaries. Hindu traditions have endured for centuries. They do not require the protection of fake parties like BJP,” she wrote on X.
However, X users soon in Odisha pointed out that the controversy pertains to ‘mischievously calling Digha temple as Jagannath Dham’ and through the tweet, the MP has only betrayed her total ignorance about the whole issue. “Of course, Shree Jagannath belongs to all. But Jagannath Dham is in Puri — one of the four sacred dhams of India. There’s no issue with building a Jagannath temple in Digha, but let’s be clear: you can call it #DighaDham, not Jagannath Dham,” wrote another user.
“Don’t over complicate without understanding the context . Simple request is to Call the new temple Digha Dham not Jagannath Dham,” an tweet clarified.
The Controversy & Reactions
The opening of a new Jagannath temple in Digha has sparked a dispute between Odisha and West Bengal. The contention arises from West Bengal’s use of the term “Jagannath Dham” for the temple, a name traditionally and scripturally associated with the 12th-century Puri temple, one of Hinduism’s four holiest pilgrimage sites.
The controversy sparked a war of words even in Bengal with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari
alleging that the Mamata Banerjee government has stooped to a new low with their deceitful tactics, officially labelling 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.
The duplicity behind naming the newly constructed site as a “Dham” must be addressed and exposed, he said.
Adhikari also accused Mamata of theft over use of leftover Darubrahma wood from the Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple for carving the deities of Digha temple.
Also Read: Sacred Neem Wood Stolen From Puri On Mamata Banerjee’s Instructions: Suvendu Adhikari
BJP IT cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, also lashed out at Mamata over multiple “controversies” surrounding the newly-built temple in East Midnapore district.
“Leftover timber meant for Puri’s Jagannath Temple was used to carve deities in Digha – and now a probe has been ordered. There’s a reason why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress are often called a bunch of thieves. The TMC runs like a well-oiled corruption machine, sparing nothing-not even our deities. The people of Bengal deserve better than these constant embarrassments and shady dealings,” Malviya said in a statement on X.
Puri Jagannath Mandir sevayat Ramkrishna Das Mahapatra, also known as Rajesh Daitapati, stated that the idol for the Digha Jagannath Cultural Centre was originally intended to be made of marble. However, since “Darubrahma wood” is traditionally used for crafting the idol of… pic.twitter.com/rgM5928MbK
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 2, 2025
Former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury remarked, “Lord Jagannath is eternally alive, yet our Didi claims to breathe life into him. Why doesn’t she take the altar as a Goddess herself? Why mock Hindu sentiments? She also attended the Eid namaz on Red Road. Didi and BJP are vying with each other.
The TMC had earlier dismissed 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,” party spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said.
Meanwhile in Odisha
The Odisha government on Sunday said it intended to send a letter to Bengal CM, requesting her to stop using “Jagannath Dham” for the Digha temple. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has also issued a notice to senior servitor, Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, following his claim that he helped make the idols for the Digha shrine using leftover wood from the Puri shrine.
Also Read: Explain Contradictory Statements In 7 Days Or Face Action: SJTA Notice Daitapati Servitor
