In the coastal town of Digha, West Bengal, India, a new temple complex dedicated to Lord Jagannath has sparked controversy and debate.
The temple, built at a cost of over $30 million, was inaugurated in April and has since become a focal point of politics and faith in the region.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, swept a sun-scorched road to make way for a towering chariot in Digha, marking the launch of the state’s first-ever government-sponsored Rath Yatra festival.
This move has raised questions about the role of politics in faith and whether the construction of the temple was about faith or politics, especially with state assembly elections looming next year.
The Digha temple has been pitched as West Bengal’s alternative to the more popular Jagannath Temple in neighboring Odisha state’s Puri town.
However, the construction of the temple has not been without controversy. The BJP’s parliamentarian from Puri, Sambit Patra, declared, “there is only one Jagannath Dham in the world, and it is in Puri.”
The BJP’s most prominent Bengal leader, Suvendu Adhikari, called the temple a “tourist attraction, not a spiritual site,” adding, “Mamata Banerjee is a fake Hindu. Temples can’t be built using government funds.”
To political scientist Ranabir Samaddar, the TMC’s temple politics is evidence of a brewing battle over the identity of Hinduism itself. “If you agree Hindu society is not monolithic, then it’s natural that Hindus who reject the majoritarian version will assert a different understanding,” he said.
Samaddar argued that moves like Mamata’s represent a deeper social and cultural contest, adding, “This is not a simple secularism-versus-communalism binary. It’s a protest against the idea that there is only one kind of Hinduism.”
Historian Tapati Guha Thakurta noted that the state’s involvement in temple building ought to be seen as a part of a larger arc in India’s modern journey.
“There’s been a major slide – from the modern, secular model to a politics that centres temples,” she said. Guha Thakurta recalled the deliberate separation of state and religion under 34 years of Left government, saying, “Our generation grew up under a firewall between religion and the state.”
Nawsad Siddique, the sole state legislator from the Indian Secular Front, called the Digha temple a “blurring of governance and faith.” He questioned the priorities of the government, saying, “We don’t have jobs. Our youth are migrating. Our schools are crumbling. And we’re building mega temples?”
The construction of the Digha temple and the controversy surrounding it highlights the complex interplay between politics and faith in India. As Guha Thakurta ominously warned, “We’re sitting on a volcano about to erupt. That’s all I’ll say.”