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Mamata denies allegations of using leftover neem wood for idol carvings at Digha Jagannath Temple

Kolkata, May 5 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday dismissed the Odisha government's allegations that leftover timber intended for Puri’s Jagannath Dham Temple was used to carve deities for the Jagannath Temple in Digha, East Midnapore.

The reaction comes after Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Friday asked Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee to conduct an internal investigation into the alleged use of surplus wood from the Puri shrine for idol construction at the Jagannath temple complex in Digha, West Bengal.

“Why are you so jealous? It is being said that I stole neem wood. Let me tell you that I have four neem trees at my own home only! To suggest that Mamata Banerjee built a Jagannath Dham by stealing neem wood is completely unfounded; I am not in such a position," the chief minister who is in Murshidabad said.

“Initially our idols were of marble and then Doitopati (Puri Jagannath temple servitor Ramkrushna Das Mahapatra, also known as Rajesh Doitopati) suggested bringing idols curved out of wood. He brought it from somewhere else not from the place that is being alleged,” Banerjee said.

Mamata Banerjee’s denial of the allegations came a day after Sri Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Arvind Padhee questioned Daita Nijog Secretary Ramakrishna Dasmahapatra and President Ganeswar Dasmahapatra for over an hour regarding the alleged misuse of neem wood. Ganeswar, however, said that he had answered all questions and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

“I have heard that he was called yesterday. He told, what was needed. The wood was procured from a different course. Why are you so jealous? Lots of Bengalis go to Puri every year. We respect Puri’s Jagannath Dham. Why are you so worried if we have constructed one Jagannath temple here in Digha,” the chief minister said.

The controversy over the use of leftover neem wood for carving idols at the Digha Jagannath Temple erupted after Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, secretary of the Daitapati Nijog—a group of servitors associated with the Rath Yatra—revealed in an interview with a Bengali TV channel that he had advised the Chief Minister to install Neem Daru deities instead of stone idols, a suggestion she reportedly accepted, after which he facilitated the provision of the Daru Bigrahas.

Dasmahapatra also reportedly mentioned that during the 2015 Nabakalebara—a grand ritual involving the replacement of the deities’ wooden forms—the Daitapatis had collected Daru (sacred Neem trees) under the guidance of Devi Mangala of Kakatpur. After the idols were carved, some wood remained. Using a portion of this leftover Daru, Dasmahapatra had new idols carved and installed at the Digha temple.

‘Nabakalebara’ is a ritual conducted every 12 or 19 years at the Puri temple, during which the wooden forms of the deities—Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath—are replaced.

Speaking on the matter, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she had received reports of Bengali-speaking people being assaulted in Odisha, drawing parallels to similar incidents in other states in the past.

Emphasising West Bengal’s inclusive stance, she noted that around 1.5 crore people from other states live peacefully in Bengal, she said, “We will not oppress anyone—that’s the difference between West Bengal and other states. I shall communicate with the Odisha government to avoid any misunderstandings.”

Banerjee also indirectly warned Odisha, pointing out its dependence on West Bengal for essentials like potatoes and technical assistance during crises, and highlighted that most tourists visiting Puri come from Bengal. “So, what’s the issue if there’s a Jagannath temple in Digha?” she asked pointedly.
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