Servitor served notice over 'use' of Puri Jagannath temple sacred wood to make idols in Digha shrine

Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) of Puri has issued a show cause to a senior servitor over the alleged use of surplus sacred wood of the 12th-century shrine in crafting idols in a temple at Digha in neighbouring West Bengal, officials said.

The notice was issued to Daitapati Nijog secretary and senior servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra on the charge of "creating confusion in the minds of countless devotees and worshippers" of Lord Jagannath through his contradictory statements and "tarnishing the dignity" of the temple, a statement issued by the administration said.

'Daitapati Nijog' is a group of servitors, considered bodyguards of Lord Jagannath.

Dasmohapatra has been asked to give his reply within seven days from May 4.

“If a satisfactory explanation is not received within this time, strict disciplinary action will be taken as per the Sri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955," the notice said.

Dasmohapatra, along with 55 other servitors from Puri, attended the consecration ceremony at the Digha temple in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30.

Dasmohapatra had allegedly used the Puri temple sacred wood, stored in 'Daru Gruha' (store room), to craft idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath for the Digha shrine and took them to the Digha Temple for installation.

The notice also mentioned that Dasmohapatra, in an interview with a Bengali news channel, admitted that he had used the Puri temple’s sacred wood for making idols of the Dighta temple, and later he refuted the same in the Odisha media.

Dasmohaptra claimed that he had made the wooden deities using another neem tree, it said.

The SJTA expressed concern over the act of the senior servitor, who is also in charge of the secretary of the 'Daitapati Nijog'.

According to the tradition of the shrine in Puri, the surplus wood, after the ‘Nabakalebara’ (new form) festival, is stored in a room and used for the repair of the idols if required.

The wood is collected from different places across the state during the 'Banajoga' ritual, which follows a series of religious activities.

Therefore, the wood collected during the 'Nabakalebara' is considered sacred and rare, a priest said.

The contradictory statement of Dasmohapatra has created resentment among devotees as his remarks "hurt their religious sentiments.

Amid a row over the West Bengal government’s portrayal of the Digha temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’ and alleged use of Puri shrine's surplus wood in the construction of idols there, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan had on May 2 asked the SJTA to inquire into the matter.

SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee summoned Dasmohapatra and questioned him for about 90 minutes on Sunday.

The administration wanted to know whether he, as the secretary of 'Daitapati Nijog', had taken sacred wood from the Puri temple and used it in making the idols for the Digha temple, officials said.