No Puri Daru Used in Digha Temple Idols: Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Monday clarified that the surplus sacred wood (Daru) from the Nabakalebar rituals of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri was not used in the making of idols for the newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal.

Dispelling speculation, the Minister stated that after consultations with servitors and the Maharana sculptors associated with the Puri temple, it was concluded that carving 2.5-foot idols from the surplus “balaka” Daru wood was not feasible. “Maharana sculptors have confirmed this, and several Nijog servitors pointed out that confusion arose due to a misstep during the 1995–96 government period,” he noted.

As per the ancient temple scripture Shapata Lipi, all surplus Daru wood should be stored beneath the Daru house near the Suara Mahasuara Nijog’s premises. However, during the 1995–96 period, some surplus wood was stored under the Daitapati Nijog house, leading to long-standing ambiguity regarding its usage.

To resolve the matter, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) recently formed a five-member committee to verify and count the balaka wood from both storage sites. Following the committee’s recommendation, all surplus Daru wood will now be secured under the Daru house, ensuring none remains elsewhere.

In addition, Minister Harichandan announced that the Odisha government would formally request the West Bengal government to refrain from using the term ‘Dham’ for the new Jagannath temple in Digha, citing the need to maintain the sanctity and unique identity of Shree Jagannath Dham in Puri.