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Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Can a state govt build a temple?': PIL in Calcutta HC seeks probe into funding of Digha's Jagannath Temple
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was moved in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday alleging 'irregularities' in the administration and functioning of the newly inaugurated Jagannath Dham temple in Digha. West Bengal. The matter was mentioned before the division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De, which granted permission to file the petition formally. The petitioner questioned how tax exemptions on donations can be justified if the temple is officially part of a 'West Bengal government-funded cultural centre'. The petition claims that the temple is being operated under the guise of a private trust. However, the address listed for donations is allegedly that of HIDCO (Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation), a government agency. The petitioner has called for an investigation into how a trust can legally use the premises and resources of a state-run body. Another issue raised in the PIL is the recruitment of civic volunteers for temple-related duties. The petitioner stated that the state cabinet approved the hiring of approximately 100 civic volunteers for the temple, and a notification has been issued in this regard. The petition urges the court to direct the temple authorities to clarify the legal and administrative basis for such recruitment. The Jagannath Dham temple, inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30, is modeled after the iconic Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. Built in the traditional Kalinga architectural style, the temple was developed at a cost of Rs 250 crore by the state government. More than 800 artisans contributed to the project, which aims to position Digha as a major religious and tourist destination. According to sources, the state government also plans to organize an annual Ratha Yatra at the temple site.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Mamata to be present at ‘Maha Yajna' in Digha's Jagannath Temple, day ahead of inauguration
Digha , Arrangements are in place for the 'Maha Yajna' on Tuesday evening at the newly built Jagannath Temple in West Bengal's seaside tourist town of Digha, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take part in the rituals, officials said. The Jagannath Temple, a replica of the 12th-century shrine in Puri, is scheduled to be inaugurated on Wednesday on the auspicious occasion of the 'Akshay Trithiya'. Digha is around 350 km from Puri. "The CM will participate in the 'Maha Yajna' at the temple. There will a number of rituals during the puja,' an official at the Chief Minister's Office told PTI. At the 'Maha Yajna', around 100 quintals of 'aam kath' and 'bael kath' , and two quintals of ghee will be used, another official said. On Wednesday, the 'Pran Pratishtha' of the idols of the deities will take place, he said. Sacred water from various pilgrimage destinations has already been brought to the temple for the rituals, the official said. Devotees visiting the temple during its inauguration on Wednesday will be given 'gamchas' to protect the body from heat, officials said. Built on around 24 acres of land using red sandstone quarried from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan, the Jagannath Temple, also known as 'Jagannath Dham', is an "architectural marvel, a mixture of intricate carvings and traditional design', they said. Banerjee had on Monday said the temple will serve as a place of confluence of people for the 'next several thousand years'. "This temple will definitely add a new feather to the state's cap. Digha will grow into an international tourist attraction. This will serve as a place of harmony," she had said. "Because of the sea, Digha has a special charm. Now, if it becomes a place of pilgrimage, more tourists will come. I think the sculptors have done a splendid job," she said. The 'Jagannath Dham' has been developed by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation at a cost of nearly ₹250 crore. The day-to-day activities of the temple will be managed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . The construction of the temple started in 2022, after Banerjee announced the project in 2018.
