Bhubaneswar (Odisha), May 04, 2025 (ANI): As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement declaring newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as “Jagannath Dham”, Odisha Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on May 04 said that they wrote a letter to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to look into the matter seriously.
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00:00Writing a letter to SJTA is an internal affair.
00:04In fact, the situation that has been created by some of the servitors
00:09and basically the situation that has become an emotional and sentimental thing for all devotees of Lord Jagannath.
00:23In that case, it was our prime duty to enquire about the situation
00:30and whatever was discussed in the media, that was also within the scope of the enquiry.
00:41So keeping that in view on behalf of the state government,
00:45we have written a letter to Temple Administration to look into the matter seriously
00:51and institute an enquiry so that the truth must come out in the process.
01:01So keeping that in view, the Temple Administration has started its enquiry.
01:07They have discussed with different groups of servitors, even with Chhattisani Jog,
01:13and the people who are looking into the custody of different things,
01:21different assets of Lord Jagannath.
01:24And simultaneously with different Nijogs also, they have discussed
01:28whatever is the finding.
01:32After that, now they are calling these people like who have gone to the other temple at Digha,
01:40Lord Jagannath's temple at Digha.
01:42And we are coming to a conclusion.
01:45The basic thing is, there is no bar for anybody, any servitor or whoever it is associated with Jagannath temple.
01:53There is no bar for them to go to other temples, visit other temples or go somewhere as guests or something.
02:05But conducting puja in some other place is unethical
02:10because they have been assigned to do the seva and puja at Mahaprabhu Sri Yaganath's temple only.
02:20So, it is a prime duty of the administration to look into this kind of indiscipline acts
02:26that has been done by some of the servitors.
02:30And accordingly, they are into the process of enquiry.
02:33And very soon, they will be coming to a conclusion.
02:37And accordingly, whatever action needs to be taken to maintain the discipline,
02:42to maintain the sanctity, to maintain the situational problems,
02:47that will be done by the temple administration,
02:51whatever temple administration, whatever decision they will take, that will be final.
02:55Will I also comment right later to the mantra?
02:59Regarding that issue, regarding the nomenclature, like regarding the name,
03:04they have used dham.
03:05Dham actually in Hindu culture, there are four dhams available in India,
03:13out of which the most prime dham is Jagannath dham, that is situated at Puri.
03:21Any other temple can be, any other temple cannot just use this kind of a name,
03:29that it is the second Jagannath dham.
03:31It is not accepted.
03:33Legally, it is not accepted.
03:34Ethically, it is also, it is not accepted.
03:37So that is why I am waiting for the Honourable Chief Minister to arrive in Bhavaneshwar.
03:43So once he is coming, I will uprise the situation.
03:46And then we will take a decision whether we will write it to the government of West Bengal
03:51or we will go for a legal battle that needs to be decided.
03:54Sir, don't you think the secretary of Jagannath, Puri Jagannath temple,
03:58how he reached West Bengal, is this matter of investigation?
04:02Yeah, that is in the scope of investigation and that is being investigated also.