Daitapati Ramakrishna under scanner over Daru Controversy at Jagannath Temple

Sri Jagannath Temple Daitapati Ramakrishna Dasmahapatra has come under scrutiny following an interview he gave to a West Bengal TV channel, in which he claimed that the idols (Bigrahas) of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Mahalaxmi installed at the Jagannath Temple in Digha were carved from surplus Daru (sacred wood) left over from the 2015 Nabakalebar ritual.

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The Chief Administrator of the Sri Jagannath Temple, Arvind Padhee, on Sunday summoned both Ramakrishna Dasmahapatra (Secretary) and Ganeswar Dasmahapatra (President) of the Daita Nijog and questioned them regarding the matter.

Padhee interrogated the two for over an hour concerning their involvement. However, neither the Chief Administrator nor Ramakrishna disclosed the outcome of the meeting.

Ganeswar Dasmahapatra told the media that he had answered all questions posed by the Chief Administrator and assured full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.

On Sunday, the temple administration issued a show-cause notice to Ramakrishna Dasmahapatra over his conflicting statements concerning the Daru and Lord Jagannath, which have shocked devotees and allegedly tarnished the image of both Lord Jagannath and the temple administration.