March 11, 2026
Sagarika Ghose’s Zero Hour mention on the Jagannath Temple in Digha in Bengal and on the state’s religious plurality
Sir, Lord Jagannath Temple in Digha is not merely a structure of brick and mortar. It is a beacon of a civilization, a culture and a philosophy of faith that Bengal has nurtured for centuries. Inaugurated less than a year ago, built in a majestic Kalinga architectural style, the temple has already drawn nearly one crore visitors from more than 150 countries. On Akshay Tritiya, April 30, 2025, Bengal opened the gates of the Jagannath Temple, 213 feet of devotion rising from the shores of the Bay of Bengal, and the people responded. There were one crore devotees in just eight months. Nearly 50,000 pilgrims visit every day, turning what was once a quiet seaside town into one of India’s fastest rising spiritual destinations. Hotels are full, livelihoods are growing and the local economy is thriving. This is people’s faith in motion. This is not propaganda. This is pure bhakti. It is not a temple built to divide, intimidate or score political points. Bengal said something very simple and very profound. We do not weaponize faith. We live it. Across our land, across Bengal, stand the symbols of pluralism, the tomb of Mother Teresa, Nakhoda Masjid, Belur Math and ISCKON temple. Azan and temple bells, keertan and qawwali, sufi, buddhist, sikh, all coexist in Bengal’s spiritual vibrancy, because Bengal is the land of Ramakrishna Paramhansa who taught us ‘jato mat thatho path’, ‘many roads, one God’. Bengal is the land of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu whose message teaches us ‘humbler than grass, more tolerant than a tree’. Bengal is the land of Swami Vivekananda who warned us that while superstition may be the great enemy of man, bigotry is far worse. Bengal is the land of Rabindranath Tagore who reminded us that the world is a united stream of life. For centuries our philosophy has echoed the ancient truth – Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti; truth is one, the wise call it many names. And that truth is lived in Bengal every day. The Jagannath temple in Digha welcomes every caste, every creed, every community; it is open and inclusive, without gate-keeping. Our Chief Minister’s words capture perfectly 21st century modern secularism – dharma jar jar, utsab shabar – which means, everybody has their personal religion, but we celebrate festivals together. The Jagannath tradition is a civilisational bridge between Bengal and Odisha. Countless pilgrims undertake journey along the coast and show that there is spiritual sharing between Bengal and Odisha. This is Bengal’s heartbeat; peoplepowered devotion. We do not build temples to frighten minorities. We do not build temples to manufacture enemies. We do not build temples to claim monopoly over faith. The Jagannath Temple stands as proof that Bengal’s spirituality is expansive, confident, fearless and welcoming the world, while safeguarding its plural soul. Sir, I invite every Member of this august House, including you, to please visit Lord Jagannath in Digha. Jai Jagannath! Jai Bangla!
