Mamata Banerjee on Monday dismissed allegations that leftover neem wood from Puri’s 12th-century shrine was used to carve the idols placed in the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha.
“Now they (BJP) are claiming that I have stolen neem wood. That particular log of neem wood was brought by a daitapati (servitor), and it was sourced from a location that is not a place similar to the one being claimed. The daitapati was summoned yesterday (Sunday) and he informed them (the Puri’s Jagannath temple authorities) that he had brought it from another place,” the chief minister told media persons in Behrampore on Monday afternoon.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri and several prominent personalities from Odisha have raised multiple objections to the Digha shrine. The replica of the 12th-century Puri shrine is named “Jagannath Dham”, which has also been opposed in Odisha.
In a TV interview, senior servitor Rama Krushna Das Mohapatra claimed that the idols had been carved from leftover Neem wood used during the 2015 Nabakalebara — a ceremonial event during which the old idols of Puri’s Jagannath shrine are replaced with new ones.
Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Friday asked the SJTA to launch a probe into the involvement of Puri temple servitors in various rituals at the Digha Jagannath temple.
In a letter to the SJTA’s chief administrator, Harichandan requested an investigation into whether the idols at the Digha temple were carved from Daru Brahma — a special kind of neem wood used to make the idols during the 2015 Nabakalebara.
Das Mohapatra was summoned and questioned by the SJTA on Sunday to determine whether leftover Neem wood had indeed been used in crafting the idols at the new
Digha temple.
“We don’t need to steal neem wood. I have four such neem trees at my home alone. How many neem trees do they want? The situation is not so dire that Mamata Banerjee has to steal neem wood for Jagannath Dham in Digha,” the chief minister said, expressing her anger over Odisha’s refusal to send priests to the Digha temple.
“Why are you so jealous of Jagannath Dham?” Mamata asked, reminding the BJP-led Odisha government that Bengal sent the highest number of tourists to Odisha.
“We all visit Puri’s temple, and no one questions it. Bengali tourists are the highest in number visiting Odisha. When I visit Puri, RSS and BJP raise protests. Have you forgotten this?” asked the Trinamool Congress chairperson.
Statistics from the Odisha Tourism Department show that in 2023, 13.98 per cent of total tourists visiting Digha are from Bengal — the highest among all states, except Odisha.
Mamata also reminded the neighbouring state about Bengal’s support to Odisha, such as supplying potatoes during shortages and providing logistical help during cyclones.
“I love Odisha. When you face a shortage of potatoes, Bengal supplies them. When power is disrupted in your state, we send our engineers to help. What is the reason to oppose us building a Jagannath temple? You stay happy, and let us be happy too,”
Mamata said.
The probe ordered by the Odisha government was welcomed by Bengal BJP leaders, who promptly used the issue and the SJTA’s objections to criticise Mamata.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wrote on his X handle on Sunday: “The questionable involvement of Servitors, and the unauthorised use of surplus Sacred Wood (sacred Neem wood from Nabakalerbara rituals) are directly affront to ethics and morality surrounding the Jagannath Culture and centuries long traditions.”
Adhikari and Bengal BJP co-minder Amit Malviya on Monday claimed that following strong protests from Lord Jagannath devotees, the Bengal government was forced to quietly remove the misleading “Dham” signage in Digha.
A senior state government official, however, claimed that the signage had been mistakenly removed and was immediately reinstalled at the same location.