Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: Beauty pageant Ekamra Queen, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), ran into a controversy owing to inclusion of the word — Ekamra — which the cultural outfits of the city believes to have religious significance.

The cultural bodies of the Old Town area lodged a police complaint against usage of the word for a beauty contest. The organisers, however, have announced that the name will be changed.

Ekamra Queen, which has been held for the last two years and is to be organised on November 26 and 27 this year, caught attention of the Ekamra Bikash Mancha and the Chandan Yatra Mahotsav Committee, both the bodies insisting on removal of the word.

“We filed a complaint with the deputy commissioner of police Nitinjit Singh today. The word “Ekamra” has a religious gravity since “Ekamra Kshetra” indicates the spiritual land of Lord Lingaraj. What if tomorrow another pageant comes up in the name of Sreekshetra which indicates the land of Lord Jagannath,” said Rashmi Mohapatra, convenor of the Mancha.

“We also object that the winning contestants are being offered film roles, which means they are commercialising and exploiting women,” she said.

Singh said: “We will examine the issue and take steps accordingly,” he said.

However, the organisers said the name would be changed to avoid unpleasant circumstances. “This is the third edition of the pageant and we are surprised why no one raised any objection in the last two years. The contestants always showcase traditional handicrafts and handloom in the pageant. I do not understand why some people are criticising it,” said state head of the CII Suparna Nanda.