Latest news with #JagannathDham
India Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Odisha to go for trademark shield for Jagannath temple amid row with Bengal
The BJP-led Odisha government has decided to secure trademark rights for certain words and logos associated with the iconic Jagannath Mandir in Puri amid a running feud with Bengal after it named a newly built temple 'Jagannath dham'.While the final list of words is being finalised, an official said the terms like Shree Jagannath Dham (place), Srimandir (temple), mahaprasad (bhog), nilachal (Puri also known as Nilachal) dham, bada danda (the main route to the temple) would be patented, PTI emotions I felt during the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple in Digha are beyond sacred space belongs to our Ma, Mati, Manush, and has been brought to life through the collective efforts of the HIDCO team, local residents, artists, industrialists, and devotees Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 30, 2025advertisementThe decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) that was chaired by Dibyasingha Deb, the maharaja of Puri, and was attended by the 12th-century shrine's chief administrator, district collector and top police officers. Confirming the development, SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said the trademark decision was taken to protect the cultural, religious and spiritual identity of the Puri temple."This will help prevent misuse of the 12th century temple's original spiritual identity and unauthorised use of its sacred terminology," PTI quoted Padhee as IS THE ROW?At the centre of the row is the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government's move to name the newly built temple in Digha as 'Jagannath dham'.The Mohan Majhi-led Odisha government has argued that 'Jagannath dham' could only be used to refer to the Puri temple - one of India's four sacred 'dhams' - issue was also brought up by the Puri maharaja during the temple committee meeting."The West Bengal government cannot use the term 'Jagannath Dham' for their temple at Digha. This is against Hindu scriptures and the age-old tradition of Lord Jagannath," PTI quoted Dibyasingha Deb as was also speculation that surplus sacred neem wood from the Nabakalebara ceremony at the Puri temple was used to create idols for West Bengal's Jagannath temple. However, both states have rejected such MAJHI'S LETTER TO MAMATA BANERJEEThe Odisha Chief Minister also wrote to his Bengal counterpart earlier this month, urging the government to reconsider using the term 'Jagannath Dham' for the Digha his letter, Majhi said using the term for any other temple or location other than the one in Puri hurts the sentiments of millions of devotees - a majority of whom are from fact, Bengal accounts for a substantial portion of the tourist footfall to Puri. According to the latest government data, in 2023, of the 97.25 lakh domestic tourists who visited Puri, the largest number, 13.59 lakh, or 14%, were from the first BJP Chief Minister of Odisha, also made it clear in his latest interview with TOI that Puri was the abode of Lord Jagannath and was the only Jagannath Dham."It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one, including any political leader, can replicate or shift that faith," he told Reel
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘SC/ST quota in med, technical edu to go up; OBCs to benefit as well'
How do you assess BJP's one year of governance in Odisha? Very good. The govt fulfilled 18 of 21 major promises made in the election manifesto within the first year. Key accomplishments include increasing paddy procurement price and implementing the Subhadra Yojana. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The govt developed 4,600 km of roads with 100% budget utilisation and is planning 6,600 km of expressways and state highways through the new State Highway Authority. It established 67 new courts with plans for courts in all blocks. Expectations were high as you dislodged a govt of 24 years... When we came to power, there was apprehension since most of us were first-timers. But in this one year, from the chief minister to every minister, everyone is performing well. We've achieved our commitment of a corruption-free govt. We've provided 40,266 govt jobs out of 85,000 vacant posts and are working towards our five-year target of 1.5 lakh jobs. We implemented backward class reservation in education at 11.25%, which wasn't done in 24 years by the previous govt. We're developing skill training, implementing NEP and running various welfare schemes smoothly. Why not 27%, which is what the Centre has done, and why not in medical education? The Supreme Court verdict clearly states reservation cannot exceed 50%. Tamil Nadu's 69% reservation was implemented before this judgment. For SC/ST communities, the current reservation is 38.75%, leaving only 11.25% remaining. Regarding the opposition's concerns, we will soon include (reservation) in technical and medical education. During their 24-year governance, they didn't see that 12% ST and 8% SC populations weren't getting proper reservation in medical education. We're now restructuring the entire reservation system for SC/ST and SEBC in technical and medical education. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Quota for STs and SCs will increase in medical and technical education, and it will be introduced for the backward class. How does the govt plan to address the Jagannath Dham row with Bengal? No temple except the one in Puri can be officially called 'Jagannath Dham'. While West Bengal has built a temple in Digha, it cannot claim the Jagannath nomenclature. To resolve this, we are awaiting a response from West Bengal to our chief minister's letter. The govt is exploring legal options. We are discussing the issue with the learned advocate general and we will also come out with whatever steps that can be taken. Steps will be taken to protect Jagannath culture and Odisha's interests in this matter. What is the status on removing obsolete laws, as promised in the manifesto? We have appointed the Law Commission to lead this initiative. The commission is currently identifying obsolete laws in a bid to remove them. It is reviewing existing legislation for potential amendments and recommending changes to rules of business and various acts. The govt will take appropriate action based on the commission's recommendations. Why is there a delay in implementing the new excise policy, which generally comes at the beginning of the financial year? The delay is due to several major changes being implemented. There will be an enhanced focus on prosecution and enforcement, with better safeguards for licence holders. The new policy will last for three years and not one year. There will be new initiatives such as an anti-addiction campaign reaching the village level. There will be organised enforcement activities with STF and the narcotics bureau, focusing on tackling illicit distilleries and the illegal liquor trade. Are you reconsidering reopening dance bars? Absolutely not. We are very rigid on this because it is against the culture of Odisha. That is why when I took over the charge of the excise department, we immediately instructed the department to put an end to dance bars. They also went to court. The judgment came in our favour. There is no possibility of any dance bar reopening. What are the key infrastructure projects being prioritised by the works department under you? We are implementing several major infrastructure projects, including the Bhubaneswar City Decongestion Plan by 2027. It includes three ring roads — internal, inner and outer — besides the Central Ring Road by NHAI. The busy Jaydev Vihar-Nandankanan section will be traffic signal-free. Two parallel roads to Jaydev Vihar-Nandankan will be completed soon. A four-lane road along Daya west canal connecting Barang to Jatani will be made. There will be similar decongestion projects planned for Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhawanipatna and Balasore. In the election manifesto, BJP had promised to investigate alleged misuse of emergency and contingency funds by the previous govt. What is its status? In our first year, our primary focus has been on development, and this will continue into the next year as well. We are working to restore the natural development trajectory that was previously hindered. We are gradually addressing other commitments, including investigations into past irregularities. For instance, we have already directed the crime branch to further investigate the Naba Das murder case. Similarly, investigations into the emergency and contingency fund misuse will also be taken up. BJP manifesto had promised an Act for the safety of doctors and advocates? It was in response to frequent incidents of violence against these professionals. We are currently working on comprehensive legislation that will protect not only doctors and advocates, but also journalists, as these professionals are particularly vulnerable to public anger and attacks due to the nature of their work.
Business Mayor
07-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Roll out a hundred Jagannath Dhams
First, it was the Great Rasagola-Roshogolla Spat. Now it's the 'Goddamn, there's another Jagannath Dham !' tussle. The two sparring parties are the same – Odisha and West Bengal. As is wont with legacy institutions not taking kindly to upstart crows, this time, too, Odisha, where the Jagannath Temple has been standing in the coastal town of Puri since the 12th c., is miffed after Bengal's new Jagannath Temple has come up at the seaside resort of Digha since April 30, 2025. One would have thought that Odisha would have been chuffed that Bengal turned to Puri for inspiration to spread the lord's word. But it turns out now that quite like rasagola-roshogolla, the epithet of 'dham' (abode) can be applied only to four sacred places: Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram and Puri. Somehow, Delhi's Akshardham missed the memo. The quarrel, of course, is over more mortal things: religious tourists. It's as if when a Wendy's outlet opens in the 'hood, legacy McDonald's is supposed to get riled up. But guys, guys, guys. Places of worship are also part of competitive capitalism. One more branch of Jagannath Dham® should be good news, no? After all, if Big J is, as divinity, omnipresent, it should stand to reason that he has many dhams. In fact, setting up a Jagannath St-Tropez and a Jagannath KwaZulu-Natal should be the next logical step in J-walking.
Economic Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Roll out a hundred Jagannath Dhams
First, it was the Great Rasagola-Roshogolla Spat. Now it's the 'Goddamn, there's another Jagannath Dham !' tussle. The two sparring parties are the same - Odisha and West Bengal. As is wont with legacy institutions not taking kindly to upstart crows, this time, too, Odisha, where the Jagannath Temple has been standing in the coastal town of Puri since the 12th c., is miffed after Bengal's new Jagannath Temple has come up at the seaside resort of Digha since April 30, 2025. One would have thought that Odisha would have been chuffed that Bengal turned to Puri for inspiration to spread the lord's word. But it turns out now that quite like rasagola-roshogolla, the epithet of 'dham' (abode) can be applied only to four sacred places: Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram and Puri. Somehow, Delhi's Akshardham missed the quarrel, of course, is over more mortal things: religious tourists. It's as if when a Wendy's outlet opens in the 'hood, legacy McDonald's is supposed to get riled up. But guys, guys, guys. Places of worship are also part of competitive capitalism. One more branch of Jagannath Dham® should be good news, no? After all, if Big J is, as divinity, omnipresent, it should stand to reason that he has many dhams. In fact, setting up a Jagannath St-Tropez and a Jagannath KwaZulu-Natal should be the next logical step in J-walking.
Hans India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Mamata refutes charge of using neem wood from Puri
Murshidabad: Asserting that she doesn't 'need to steal', West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rubbished as 'baseless' the allegations of using sacred neem wood from Puri's Jagannath temple to make the idols for the newly built Digha temple. She also expressed grave concern over reports of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in Odisha. Speaking to reporters in Murshidabad, Banerjee hit out at critics, asserting that her government had 'no reason to use stolen wood' and dismissed the controversy as a politically motivated ploy to malign her. 'Why would we use stolen neem wood? We have our sources of neem wood. These allegations are baseless and unacceptable,' Banerjee said. 'When Mamata Banerjee builds the Kalighat Skywalk and Dakshineswar Skywalk, then there is no question. When she does Kali Puja or Durga Puja, then there is no question. But now Jagannath Dham has hurt them (BJP)? They are saying I stole neem wood. My house has four neem trees, for their information. Ask them how many they need. I do not need to steal,' she said. The controversy erupted after the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri questioned a senior servitor over allegations that sacred leftover wood from the Puri shrine was used to craft idols for the newly inaugurated temple in Digha. The Digha temple project, backed by the West Bengal government, has been pitched as a major religious and tourism hub. Banerjee, however, dismissed the insinuation that her government or the temple project in Digha had anything to do with sacred wood from Odisha. 'Our idol was supposed to be made of marble. Many of us have Jagannath idols at home. I heard Daityapati was summoned, but he has clearly said what is being told is false,' Banerjee said. Taking a sharp swipe at her political opponents, Banerjee said, 'Why are they so angry just because we have built a Jagannath temple in Digha? Is it a crime to worship Lord Jagannath in West Bengal? Why does it hurt them so much? We all go to Puri. When I go to Puri, the RSS and BJP protest against me. Have you forgotten?'
