Even before completing its first year since inauguration, the number of visitors to Digha's Jagannath Dham has crossed one crore. According to temple authorities, Sunday marked an important milestone in India’s spiritual tourism history, as the temple welcomed its one-crore-th visitor.
The milestone visitor was identified as a young child. To make the moment memorable, the temple authorities felicitated her.
When was the Jagannath Dham inaugurated?
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Jagannath Dham on April 30 this year. Since then, the temple has witnessed a steady flow of devotees, not only during festivals and special occasions, but also on regular days. On Sunday, the total number of visitors crossed the one-crore mark, as recorded by the electronic counting system installed at the temple.
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Who was the one-crore-th visitor?
According to the records, the one-crore-th visitor was Kakali Jana, daughter of Surajit Jana, a resident of Tollygunge in Kolkata. She had visited the Jagannath Dham in Digha along with her parents and sister.
Special arrangements were made by the temple authorities to honour Kakali Jana and her family. They were welcomed with garlands and given the opportunity to have close darshan of Lord Jagannath. The family was also offered the temple's mahaprasad on the occasion.
Overwhelmed by the experience, the Jana family said, "We consider ourselves blessed and proud. Being part of such a historic moment will remain a wonderful memory for life. It truly feels like Lord Jagannath's grace."
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Commenting on the milestone, Radharaman Das, chief priest and trustee of Jagannath Dham, said, "The arrival of one crore devotees is not just a numerical achievement. Jagannath Dham, Digha, has become a meeting place of the nation, culture, and hearts, where devotion uplifts the soul and enriches society." He added, "I sincerely thank Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It has been possible to build this dham due to her initiative."
