logo
Majhi writes to Mamata, requests her to remove Dham from Digha temple name

Majhi writes to Mamata, requests her to remove Dham from Digha temple name

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday wrote to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee requesting her to reconsider the use of Jagannath Dham for the newly-inaugurated temple at Digha.
Expressing deep concern over naming of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham, Majhi said Shree Jagannath temple at Puri is one of the 'Char Dhams' of Hinduism and holds unparalleled religious, spiritual and cultural significance, not just for people of Odisha but also millions of devotees across the country and world.
'The name 'Jagannath Dham' holds a unique and sacrosant identity linked to Puri, and its usage in reference to any other temple or location hurts sentiments and emotions of millions of pilgrims besides diluting heritage of Shree Jagannath Dham, Puri,' he wrote.
The CM said while Odisha acknowledges the devotion of the people of West Bengal towards Lord Jagannath, the use of Dham in official and promotional context for the Digha temple is likely to cause confusion among devotees, dilute the historical identity of Puri as the original and revered abode of the Lord.
Majhi requested the government of West Bengal to reconsider the usage of Jagannath Dham in its official naming, communication and promotional materials. 'I sincerely hope the government of West Bengal will uphold the spirit of inter-state respect and cultural sensitivity in this matter and take necessary steps to address our concerns,' Majhi wrote.
On the other hand, even as Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth in Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj is yet to react to the controversy, his counterpart in Jyotirmath at Uttarakhand Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said only Puri Jagannath temple can be called a Dham. Avimukteshwaranand on Tuesday said a Dham can only be in one place and it is not right to call Digha temple as such.
Meanwhile, within hours of BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claiming that the Jagannath Dham signage has been removed from Digha due to protests, the temple authorities have reinstalled a new permanent signage at the same spot. Purba Medinipur Police in West Bengal called the signage removal claims as 'false propaganda by people with vested interests'.
This comes a day after state Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said Odisha government will explore legal options if West Bengal does not drop the word. Puri king Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb also urged Digha temple authorities not to associate Dham with it.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Congress, BJP oppose outsourcing of jobs at PMSSY block of Kozhikode MCH
Congress, BJP oppose outsourcing of jobs at PMSSY block of Kozhikode MCH

The Hindu

time23 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Congress, BJP oppose outsourcing of jobs at PMSSY block of Kozhikode MCH

The Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kozhikode city committee have opposed the move to outsource 150 jobs at the recently built surgical super-speciality block of the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Addressing the media here on Thursday, DCC president K. Praveenkumar alleged that the new posts created at the building constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) were on contract basis. Efforts were being made to appoint people through the backdoor. There had been persistent demands to appoint new employees at the hospital, which was in the grip of a severe staff shortage for quite some time. But, instead of taking in people through the Kerala Public Service Commission, the government was trying to recruit people through an agency. Mr. Praveenkumar alleged that it was an attempt to appoint people close to the CPI(M) at the hospital. He also alleged that those who were appointed through the employment exchange in the past nine years were all close to the ruling party. Mr. Praveenkumar claimed that the Congress would launch an agitation against the attempts to make the hospital a 'CPI(M) sub-centre'. Meanwhile, BJP Kozhikode city president K.P. Prakash Babu said it was shameful that the authorities had not been able to appoint permanent staff at the building constructed using Central funds though 500 beds have already been installed there. He said that the BJP would oppose any move to appoint CPI(M) nominees at the facility.

Vijay Rupani: Former Gujarat CM, Who Was Jailed During Emergency, Killed In Air India Plane Crash
Vijay Rupani: Former Gujarat CM, Who Was Jailed During Emergency, Killed In Air India Plane Crash

News18

time23 minutes ago

  • News18

Vijay Rupani: Former Gujarat CM, Who Was Jailed During Emergency, Killed In Air India Plane Crash

Last Updated: Vijay Rupani, 68, was a prominent BJP leader from Gujarat and served as the 16th chief minister of the state from 2016 to 2021, holding office for two consecutive terms Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was on board the ill-fated London-bound flight that crashed minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. He was among more than 200 people killed as the plane crashed into the residential quarters of a medical college in the Meghaninagar area. According to reports, Rupani was listed as passenger number 12 on the flight manifest and booked in the Z class, which is under the business class category. He is survived by his wife, Anjali Rupani, and two children — a son and a daughter. This is not the first time tragedy has struck the family. The Rupanis lost their youngest son, Pujit, in an accident and established the Pujit Rupani Memorial Trust in his name. WHO WAS HE? Rupani, 68, was a prominent BJP leader from Gujarat and served as the 16th chief minister of the state from 2016 to 2021, holding office for two consecutive terms. He took over from Anandiben Patel and, before being named CM, was the state BJP chief. In his decades-long political career, he held key positions: Mayor of Rajkot (1996-1997), Rajya Sabha MP (2006-2012), and state cabinet minister with transport, labour, and water supply portfolios. He was also a two-time MLA, representing Rajkot West. Born in Myanmar's Yangon, he was the youngest of seven children. His family, which belongs to the influential Jain community, moved to Rajkot in 1960 due to political instability. pracharak are significant. In 2022, he decided not to contest the assembly polls expressing a desire to step back from electoral politics. He was actively involved as the BJP incharge for Punjab. This is the second such incident involving a sitting or former Gujarat CM, echoing the fate of Congress leader Balwantrai Mehta from six decades ago. He was the second chief minister of Gujarat. His plane was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force pilot in September 1965, resulting in a crash that killed him, his wife, three of his staff members, two crew members and a journalist.

Vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh attack on India's civilisational heritage: BJP
Vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh attack on India's civilisational heritage: BJP

The Print

time31 minutes ago

  • The Print

Vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh attack on India's civilisational heritage: BJP

A mob attacked and vandalised the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called for global denunciation of the incident targeting the legacy of the iconic Indian personality as he described it as a 'preplanned' attack orchestrated by Islamic groups. New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday condemned the interim government in Bangladesh for the vandalism at Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in that country, slamming it as an assault on the very soul of India's rich cultural and civilizational heritage. Patra cited media reports to say that Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam were behind the attack, noting that Tagore is an iconic symbol of Bengal, and Indian culture and civilisation. He also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not raising the issue, alleging that she saw infiltrators from the neighbouring Bangladesh as a vote bank and has opted to keep quiet for political reasons. 'She is driven by vote bank politics. We are driven by cultural politics,' Patra said. The interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus has not taken any action, and its conduct has not been appropriate, Patra said. He appealed to the world community to come together against it, adding that his party believes in inclusivity. 'The Bharatiya Janata Party, which stands firmly by the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' issues a global appeal that all nations that uphold the values of morality, cultural integrity, creativity, and civilizational harmony must come together in unequivocal condemnation of this heinous act,' he said. The BJP strongly feels that India's culture and civilization, which stretches beyond national boundaries, has come under attack in Bangladesh. Patra said Tagore, who is called Gurudev out of respect for his immense contribution in different fields, created many of memorable works in this ancestral home, known as Kachharibari. It is also a government museum to respect his legacy. The BJP MP noted that he not only wrote India's national anthem but also that of Bangladesh, which has seen a surge in the activities of Islamic hardlines following the deposition of Sheikh Hasina last year. PTI KR ZMN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store