Bhubaneswar: Puri King Dibyasingha Deb has assured appropriate action in connection with the controversies surrounding the newly-built Jagannath temple at Digha in West Bengal.

Deb, the Gajapati King, is the Chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee at Puri and he is also considered as the first and foremost servitor of the 12th century shrine. “We are taking appropriate action in connection with the controversies over the newly-built shrine at Digha,” said Deb while replying to a letter sent to him by noted sand sculptor and former member of Puri Jagannath temple managing committee Sudarsan Pattnaik.

Yesterday, the state government ordered a probe into the reports that surplus neem wood (sacred Daru) from Nabakalebar rituals at Puri Jagannath temple were used for construction of idols at Digha shrine.

Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has asked Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Arabinda Padhee to conduct a probe in this regard.

Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, senior Daitapati servitor at Puri Jagannath temple, reportedly told some media channels in West Bengal that surplus neem wood from 2015 Nabakalebar rituals at the 12th century shrine were taken to Digha for construction of idols.

However, Dasmahapatra, later, clarified that he had not said so to any media channel. "This is a false report. I have never told this to any news channel. My statements might have been morphed or intentionally edited. One thing, I told the media people that neem wood idols were consecrated at the newly-built temple at Digha," he said.

As per reports, a few servitors of Puri Jagannath temple, including Dasmahapatra, had attended the inauguration of Digha temple recently.

In addition to this, many devotees have expressed resentment over the naming of the Digha shrine as Jagannath Dham. According to them, Puri temple is known as Jagannath Dham as per Hindu scriptures and traditions.  

In his letter to the Puri King, the sand artist has urged him to intervene into the issue and take appropriate action.