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Time of India
27-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Jagannath temple draws crowds to Digha, hotel bookings go up by 20%
Hoteliers in West Bengal's Digha have experienced a 20 per cent surge in occupancy as travellers in large numbers are thronging the seaside town since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April, an official said on Friday. Around 90 per cent of the boarders are coming for a two-day stay in hotels to visit the town and offer puja to Lord Jagannath in the new temple, Digha Hoteliers Association joint secretary Bipradas Chatterjee told PTI. "Since the opening of the Jagannath temple in April this year, the room occupancy in all hotels has increased by 20 per cent on average. Most of the visitors now arrive in Digha for a short stay, and it is too early to say if this surge in occupancy will sustain in the long run or not," he added. Lakhs of devotees of Lord Jagannath have already arrived in the coastal town from across the state and elsewhere. Chatterjee said the number of visitors to around 115 hotels in Old Digha and 600 in New Digha, Sankarpur and Tajpur has been over 20 lakh since April 30, when the temple was inaugurated. Live Events "We need to assess the situation after six months to see whether the opening of the temple has resulted in a sustainable boom in the tourism sector in Digha or it is a short-term initial effect," he added. The senior hotelier said the road before the temple needs to be widened. "There has to be a proper mechanism to cope with the rush of people on certain occasions like Rath Yatra and Snan Yatra. This time, there is high security, but this has to be in place throughout the year," another association member said. Chatterjee said the state-run Digha Shankarpur Development Authority has been approached by the association to sort out several issues to make the seaside town an important destination for travellers. Asked about an abnormal hike in room tariffs since the temple came up, he said, "Some unscrupulous hoteliers resorted to unfair practices, but we have taken strong action against them." The hotel owners have been asked to put on display board their room tariffs for transparency and fairness, he added. PTI
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
CM visits Jagannath temple twice to look over opening preparations
1 2 Digha: Two days ahead of the inauguration of the Jagannath Dham, Digha wore a festive look on Monday, all ready to welcome tourists and devotees to Bengalis' favourite beach destination. CM Mamata Banerjee visited the temple twice — once after she reached the town on noon and again around dusk — on Monday, supervising preparations for the inauguration and Tuesday's mahayajna, in which the CM would take part. The grand Jagannath temple in Digha was envisaged by Banerjee in 2018, and she laid the foundation stone in 2022. The state has spent Rs 250 crore for constructing the temple spread across 20 acres, Banerjee said, and added that it would be inaugurated on Wednesday between 2.30pm and 3pm. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "This Jagannath Dham will become a confluence of spirituality and harmony. Digha, a popular tourist destination, is set to be recognised as a pilgrimage site of Lord Jagannath. This will bring Digha international fame soon," the CM said and added: "The temple will be a new feather in the crown of this popular tourist spot. Previously, Digha had nothing... now it boasts extensive paved beaches with well-lit areas. The temple will be very beneficial to Digha and will strengthen cultural and harmonious bonds for both the young and old generations." The temple is expected to give a push to tourism in Digha, feel both business owners and tourists. Bipradas Chatterjee of Digha Hoteliers Association said the temple inauguration had led to a huge demand for local hotels, which had been booked in advance. Many devotees have been coming in from Kolkata and nearby areas to witness the inauguration. Ramnagar MLA Akhil Giri said: "Digha is one of the preferred holiday destinations where weekends see a high footfall. The Jagannath temple is set to bring substantial economic growth to this area and is expected to further enhance the popularity of this beach town." Roads from Old Digha to New Digha have been decorated with colourful lights by Chandernagore artisans. Around 250 workers are putting up display boards of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chaitanyadev. The temple dome and doors have been decked up with dynamic lights and lasers would be used to increase the dazzle. Visitors can enter from east, west, north and south gates, with the main eastern entrance facing the sea. Motifs of 'shankha', 'chakra', 'gada' and 'padma' adorn each door, which have now been decorated with flowers. The temple is divided into four parts: the sanctum sanctorum, the 'Jagamohan', the 'Natmandir', and the 'Bhogmandir'. The sanctum sanctorum will house wooden idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, crafted in the style of Puri. Like Puri, the Digha temple will also have daily flag-hoisting ceremonies. After the inauguration, ISKCON will take over the temple's management.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Time of India
Devotees flock to Digha as Jagannath temple inauguration countdown begins
1 2 3 Digha: Devotees started arriving in Digha and security was increased in the coastal town on Sunday as the countdown for the inauguration of Jagannath Dham on Akshaya Tritiya began. The sound of shehnai was heard everywhere, along with the chanting of mantras. Contai ASP Shubhendra Kumar said: "A checkpoint has been set up at Digha Gate. The stretch from here to the Odisha border will be manned by police." Traffic curbs will be in place in Old Digha from Monday. The National Highway 116B stretch from Old Digha, which leads to the temple complex, will be regulated from Monday to Wednesday. Around 800 policemen have already been deployed. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Rituals leading up to the consecration — which include 1 crore mantras — began, presided over by Puri Jagannath temple chief servitor Rajesh Daitapati, Iskcon vice-president Radharamn Das and 60 other Iskcon devotees. The worship of Jagannath's seat was completed, and the deities of Jagannath, Balaram, Subhadra and Sudarshan were bathed in milk. Other deities in the temple, including Lakshmi, Bimala and Satyabhama, were also given a milk bath. Bipraday Chatterjee, joint secretary of Digha Hoteliers Association, said the temple inauguration had led to a huge demand for local hotels, which had been booked in advance. Roads from Old Digha to New Digha have been decorated with colourful lights by Chandernagore artisans. Several light gates have been installed. The nor'wester on Saturday night, however, caused on of these to collapse on the road, causing traffic snarls. The administration quickly removed the fallen gate, and no injuries were reported. The temple, which was proposed by CM Mamata Banerjee in 2018, has taken shape on a 20-acre site in Bhagirathpur mouza, around 360m north of the seashore and east of New Digha Railway Station. It is entirely modelled after the Jagannath temple in Puri. It primarily has Kalinga architecture, characterised by pyramid-like spires and intricate sculptures. The Nagara style of temple architecture is also evident. The stones used were brought from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan, known for its pink sandstone. The temple was shaped by 400 labourers from Rajasthan, its neighbouring belts and Odisha. Unlike the wooden idol in Puri's temple, the Jagannath temple in Digha will house a stone idol for worship. A wooden idol will also be present, which will travel to the aunt's house during the Rath Yatra. A Chaitanya Gate is being constructed on NH116B, in front of the main entrance of the temple. In the sanctum sanctorum, Vimana, which is approximately 65m high, one will find the Ratnavedi, where Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are enshrined. The installation of the idols from Rajasthan on the Ratnavedi was completed in mid-March. Railways cancels special trains: A railway notification announced cancellation of the Howrah-Digha and Panskura-Digha EMU specials, which were scheduled to operate from April 26 to May 5. South Eastern Railway, via its social media handle, stated that the trains "have now been cancelled with immediate effect until further notice due to lack of rake and operational constraints". The late cancellation has drawn strong criticism from Trinamool Congress, which said these EMU specials were intended to run during the Jagannath Temple inauguration to assist people in reaching Digha easily. Railways has not commented on the matter. tnn
