Nearly 350 kilometres away from the Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday inaugurated the Jagannath dham in the popular tourist destination Digha, a coastal town in East Midnapore district.

Several politicians, celebrities and people from the music industry of the state assembled in the town for the grand consecration ceremony.

Mirroring the design of the original Jagannath Temple in Puri, the temple in Digha, located close to the sea beach, has been reportedly developed by the state government at a cost of Rs 250 crore.

Spread across 20 acres, the temple complex also includes a dedicated shrine for Goddess Lakshmi and a separate Bhogshala where the food offerings for the lord will be prepared.

According to reports, the temple is built by using pink sandstone sourced from Rajasthan.

Ahead of the inauguration a puja and Maha Yajna was held in a temporary structure located in the front gate of the temple.

A moment to be cherished forever

After the inauguration, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X: "A moment to be cherished forever."

"The first glimpse of Lord Jagannath enshrined in the Garbhagriha of the Jagannath Temple in Digha will remain etched in my heart. I felt my spirit stir with the divine radiance emanating from the sacred idol. I had the privilege of performing the aarati and invoking the blessings of the Lord of the Universe upon our Ma, Mati, Manush," she said.

Rath Yatra

According to reports, the state government is also planning to organise a grand Rath Yatra similar to Puri every year.

A source told The Telegraph like the temple, the chariots were also built in a style that follows the traditional features and culture of Puri’s 12th-century shrine.

“It was built in line with the traditional raths of Puri. The instructions were taken from representatives of Puri’s shrine,” said an official.