Full Swing For Inauguration Of Jagannath Dham, Cultural Centre In Digha

Last-minute preparations are underway in full swing for tomorrow’s inauguration ceremony of the Jagannath Dham and Cultural Centre at Digha in Purba Medinipur of West Bengal. As part of the temple’s consecration, special puja rituals and a fire ceremony, ‘havan’ began this morning. Priests from the Puri Jagannath Temple and the ISKCON are conducting these rituals.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to participate in the havan this evening. According to temple sources, the grand fire ritual involves the use of 100 quintals of mango and bel wood and 2 quintals of ghee. A ceremonial pot ‘kalash’ has been installed in the yajna altar, and water has been brought in sacred pots from various pilgrimage sites. After the conclusion of the yajna, the three deities will be ceremonially put to sleep on beautifully decorated cots.

Tomorrow, they will be ceremonially awakened, followed by the rituals of pranpratishtha or life-infusion, ceremonial bathing, and sanctification. Lord Jagannath will be offered the traditional 56 items of food ‘Chhappan Bhog’.

In celebration of the inauguration of Jagannath Dham, the coastal town of Digha has been decorated with colourful lights, numerous gateways, and flags. Giant LED screens have been installed in several locations to broadcast the ceremony live.

At the same time, the entire area has been placed under strict security cover. Vehicular movement within the town has been completely restricted. Despite this, a large crowd has already gathered in Digha to witness the inauguration ceremony. A large screen has been projected in different parts of Kolkata to show today’s ceremony.