.jfif) |
| Digha temples Rath Yatra,2025 www.youtube.com |
The annual Rath Yatra, believed to be Hinduism’s one of the most revered festivals in India has been held since the 12th century at the famous Jagannath temple, one of the four Dham, drawing millions of devotees to the coastal town of Puri, Odisha. Further, the temple rituals are documented in ancient texts like the Skanda Purana. Therefore, the Digha Jagannath temple can not become another Dham. Nor does it have hoary history to boast of.
.jfif) |
| CM Mamta at Digha Rath Yatra 2025 socialnews.xyz |
With the inauguration of Jagannath temple based on the model of Puri temple with similar temple rituals in the coastal town of Digha, West Bengal at a whooping cost of Rs.250 crore in April this year, an annoying controversy had been whipped by the CM of West Bengal to whom controversy and taking cudgels against the central government on some pretext are not new. This time CM Ms. Mamta has caused unrelenting resentment between the Puri temple authorities and the government of Odisha on one hand and the Trinamool Congress government under her. The ire has now reached a new level. Digha temple's first rath yatra freepressjournal.in
.jfif)
An internationally popular and unifying religious and spiritual event has turned into a contentious debate and serious discussion fueled by vote-hungry politicians. I am referring to the inauguration of the first ever Rath yatra at Digha Jagannath temple by the W.B's CM Mamta Bannerjee on the 27th of June, 2025. The three rathas carrying the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra Devi were pulled along the street to the old Jagannath temple that is converted into Aunt's home Gundicha temple. The maiden rath yatra attracted huge crowd and, no doubt, it was a big boost to tourism in the state and it meant additional revenue. Why did the CM schedule the rath yatra on the same day at Puri? Was it intended to replicate Puri temple's long held tradition and the religious fervor? These common questions remain unanswered.
The BJP party and the temple officials who were already furious over referring to Digha Jagannath temple as Dham, the recent maiden rath yatra on the same day got them angry. The title Dham is reserved for Puri in Odisha’s cultural and religious lexicon.
For the social media and critics, the event was a fodder to them to generate scoops. There is a general consensus in the public that the WB's CM is making serious attempt to get the Hindu votes for the ensuing 2026 state Assembly elections to get reelected. Regardless of WB government's attempt to popularize the Digha Jagannath temple, Puri temple's enduring sacred legacy and centuries old divinity can not be duplicated or ignored.
Recently a senior journalist made a comparison between the two Rath yatras and made a dig at the recent stampede like situation at Puri that left one hundred people injured. This disparaging and scandalous remark from a responsible journalist has infuriated the ardent devotees and custodians of Puri temple. They are demanding an apology and this has widened the rift between the government of West Bengal and the Odisha government. To the temple officials of Puri managing a sea of humanity on the day of Rath yatra is a Herculean task with inherent challenges The unwanted and irresponsible remark on a sensitive matter has augmented the existing political rivalry between Odisha’s BJP-led government and West Bengal’s TMC.
