Bhubaneswar: The controversial Baikuntha Dham Ashram in the Khandagiri area of Bhubaneswar has been constructed on government land, an official of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) said.

The ashram has been in the news for wrong reasons as a child was being worshipped as Lord Vishnu's 'Kalki' avatar there.

A joint team from the General Administration (GA), Revenue, and Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) departments conducted a raid on the ashram on Monday.

Officials from the GA department and Bhubaneswar tehsil inspected the site to check for encroachment on government land. They were accompanied by the enforcement squad of the BDA, which carried out a preliminary survey to measure the area occupied by the ashram.

“The ashram is located on plot numbers 9037 and 9038 in Ghatikia, covering 0.140 acres. Upon verification, it was found to be government land. Further action will be taken based on instructions from the government,” a BDA official said.

Notably, the ashram landed in controversy after Odisha Samajsebi Mahasangha lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that one Kashinath Mishra claimed that his son was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Mishra had been placing tulsi leaves and Bhagavad Gita at the feet of his son and worshipping him at the ashram, as per the complaint.

The photos of the boy being worshipped have gone viral on social media platforms. The complainant said such kind of acts amount to disregard for the Hindu religion.

The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) has registered a suo moto case over the incident.

The OSCPCR has asked the IIC of the Khandagiri police station to submit a report on the matter.

The commission has also directed the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to investigate the matter.