CM visits Jagannath temple twice to look over opening preparations

Digha: Two days ahead of the inauguration of the Jagannath Dham, Digha wore a festive look on Monday, all ready to welcome tourists and devotees to Bengalis' favourite beach destination. CM Mamata Banerjee visited the temple twice — once after she reached the town on noon and again around dusk — on Monday, supervising preparations for the inauguration and Tuesday's mahayajna, in which the CM would take part.

The grand Jagannath temple in Digha was envisaged by Banerjee in 2018, and she laid the foundation stone in 2022. The state has spent Rs 250 crore for constructing the temple spread across 20 acres, Banerjee said, and added that it would be inaugurated on Wednesday between 2.30pm and 3pm.

"This Jagannath Dham will become a confluence of spirituality and harmony. Digha, a popular tourist destination, is set to be recognised as a pilgrimage site of Lord Jagannath. This will bring Digha international fame soon," the CM said and added: "The temple will be a new feather in the crown of this popular tourist spot. Previously, Digha had nothing... now it boasts extensive paved beaches with well-lit areas. The temple will be very beneficial to Digha and will strengthen cultural and harmonious bonds for both the young and old generations."

The temple is expected to give a push to tourism in Digha, feel both business owners and tourists. Bipradas Chatterjee of Digha Hoteliers Association said the temple inauguration had led to a huge demand for local hotels, which had been booked in advance. Many devotees have been coming in from Kolkata and nearby areas to witness the inauguration.

Ramnagar MLA Akhil Giri said: "Digha is one of the preferred holiday destinations where weekends see a high footfall. The Jagannath temple is set to bring substantial economic growth to this area and is expected to further enhance the popularity of this beach town."

Roads from Old Digha to New Digha have been decorated with colourful lights by Chandernagore artisans. Around 250 workers are putting up display boards of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chaitanyadev. The temple dome and doors have been decked up with dynamic lights and lasers would be used to increase the dazzle. Visitors can enter from east, west, north and south gates, with the main eastern entrance facing the sea. Motifs of ‘shankha', ‘chakra', ‘gada' and ‘padma' adorn each door, which have now been decorated with flowers.

The temple is divided into four parts: the sanctum sanctorum, the ‘Jagamohan', the ‘Natmandir', and the ‘Bhogmandir'. The sanctum sanctorum will house wooden idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, crafted in the style of Puri.

Like Puri, the Digha temple will also have daily flag-hoisting ceremonies. After the inauguration, ISKCON will take over the temple's management.