A mysterious yet deeply spiritual moment has captivated Digha ahead of the grand inauguration of the Jagannath Temple. A wooden idol of Lord Jagannath washed ashore near the under-construction Jagannath Ghat, sparking awe and devotion among locals and tourists alike.
Avani Samanta, a resident of Bhogibrahmapur village—where the new Jagannath Temple is being built—was among the first to witness the idol. Moved by devotion, he brought the idol home and established it in his house. Since then, daily prayers and rituals have begun, and neighbors have been flocking to his residence for a glimpse of the divine figure. “I don’t know where He came from, and I don’t need to,” said Avani. “I only wish for the Lord to stay with me.”
This sudden appearance of the idol has stirred mixed reactions. While many believe the idol should be housed in the newly built temple, others are content seeing it as divine will. On the other hand, some remain skeptical. According to Mangala Rana, one of the workers involved in constructing the nearby ghat, the idol was first spotted floating in with the tide. He and several others helped retrieve it from the waves. One of the idol’s hands was broken, but its presence was enough to gather a crowd, with people offering flowers, garlands, and prayers. Soon, the incident went viral on social media.
However, some residents and beach workers like Ratan Das offered a more practical explanation. “I’ve been working on the Digha coast for years,” he said. “This isn’t the first time a Lord Jagannath idol has washed ashore. In Odisha, it is a tradition to immerse old wooden idols into the sea when new ones are consecrated. It’s possible this idol floated here from there.”
Still, the emotional sentiment remains strong. For many locals, it’s not a coincidence but a divine blessing. “Why question it? Lord Jagannath has come to his own home,” said a devotee. “When it comes to other deities, there’s fanfare. Why not when Lord Jagannath arrives Himself?”
The mystery around the idol has only added to the excitement surrounding the upcoming temple inauguration. With Akshaya Tritiya falling on April 30—the day of the inauguration—and a grand yajna scheduled for April 29, Digha is buzzing with preparations. As interest grows, local authorities, including the CEO of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority, Apurba Kumar Biswas, have stated they will look into the matter.
Regardless of its origins, the arrival of the idol has filled Digha with a wave of devotion and emotion, transforming the town into what many are calling a living Jagannath Dham.
