CM: Digha poised to become intn’l tourist destination & serve as place of harmony

Digha: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that following the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple on April 30, Digha is likely to become an international tourist destination and will serve as a place of harmony.

Banerjee reached Digha on Monday afternoon by chopper. She visited the temple premises and witnessed the “hawan” being performed there.

She will be taking part in a special “hawan” on Tuesday.

The consecration ceremony will be held on Wednesday. The temple doors will open at 2.30 pm on Wednesday which will be followed by the inaugural programme.

She is accompanied by ministers Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharjee, Director General of Bengal Police Rajeev Kumar, District Magistrate Purnendu Maji, among others during her visit. Banerjee lauded the entire team involved in the temple construction and hoped for an increase in tourist footfall in Digha.

“Sea is a major attraction in Digha which draws tourists here. People will be more attracted by the religious site here. The temple will highlight the architectural expertise of Bengal dating back to thousands of years. Digha will emerge as an international tourist destination,” said Banerjee.

Digha has been decked up with white and blue colour combination. The temple is an architectural homage to the iconic Jagannath Temple of Puri, aiming to serve as a near-replica in both scale and style. It is built in the Kalingan architectural style.

The height of this temple is 65 metres and it is constructed with marble flooring imported from Vietnam. Famous sandstone from Rajasthan’s Banshi Hills has been used to build this temple.

Meanwhile, Banerjee supervised the finishing touches. The rituals, ahead of the consecration in the temple, have already started. About 57 devotees of Lord Jagannath and ISKCON monks from Puri’s Jagannath temple have arrived.

“Sri Chaitanya Dev dedicated his life to Lord Jaganath right from the banks of this sea. This history belongs to our Bengal. Hence, the Jagannath temple is situated here,” said Banerjee.