Jagannath Temple Row: Jagannath temple of Odisha is very famous, that is why lakhs of people come here every year to visit. However, for the last few days this temple has been in the news due to controversies. This controversy has arisen regarding the entry of non-Hindus and foreigners here. Only Hindus are allowed to enter this temple, this information is clearly written in the temple premises. After a statement by the Governor of Odisha, this old controversy got fueled and now there is a lot of debate on it.
How did the controversy start?
In fact, Governor Ganeshi Lal said during a program that foreign tourists should be allowed to visit Lord Jagannath. He called it his personal opinion and said that many people would not appreciate it. After this statement of the Governor, once again the debate regarding the customs and rules of the temple intensified. Many people also raised this issue on social media. At the same time, the servants and those who worship Lord Jagannath said that traditions and customs should not be tampered with.
What are the rules of the temple?
Jagannath Temple is one of those places of worship in the country, where lakhs and crores of people come for darshan. It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides here in the form of Jagannath. For the last several decades, only Hindus have been allowed to worship in this temple. Non Hindus cannot enter this temple. There is an entry ban even for foreign tourists. There are different beliefs regarding this rule of the temple. Some sevadars say that these rules were made since the time of construction of the temple. Some people believe that after the attacks by Muslim rulers, these rules were made regarding the entry of non-Hindus in the temple.
The dispute is quite old
The controversy regarding this tradition of Jagannath temple is not new. Even before this, there have been many controversies regarding this. The biggest controversy occurred when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was refused entry into the temple in 1984. The reason for this was said to be Indira’s marriage with a non-Hindu person. Apart from this, the Princess of Thailand was also stopped from visiting the temple in 2005. Also, the foreign woman, on whose behalf a donation of Rs 1.78 crore was donated to the temple, was also not given entry into the temple.
