The day before the annual Rath Yatra Lord Jagannath, Puri Shankarachary Nischalanand Saraswati said on Thursday that the Jagannath temple built in Digha, West Bengal, Mamata Banatyee lacked religious sanctity and was powered by more commercial interests than spiritual devotion.
The Hindu spiritual leader with reporters in Puri said: “The highest number of devotees visiting Puri comes from West Bengal. They occupy most hotels and the local economy Puri is largely revolving around these devotees.
Mr. Saraswati said, “The intention of Mamata Banatyee to ensure that the flow of income remains in West Bengal, rather than beneficial Odisha. There is no real feeling of religiosity – it is money.”
The recently built Jagannath temple in the coastal city of Digha and its dedicated ceremony, which took place a few months ago, caused controversy.
The Odisha government, together with cultural and religious organizations, protested against the name of the Digha complex as Jagannath Dham and claimed that the title “Dham” is traditionally reserved for PURI, one of the four most sacred pilgrimage sites of Hind.
Another controversy appeared over the use of Neem Wood to create idols in the Digha temple. She appeared accusations and claimed that the remaining Neem Wood from Puri’s Ubakalebar ceremony was diverted for use in the Digha temple. However, the investigation of the Odisha Government did not find any evidence of unlawful conduct.
Meanwhile, three majestic cars were placed in front of the 12th century. More than a million devotees are likely to appear on the annual celebration on Friday.
Published – 27th June 2025 12:11
