Puri: Indian Railways stone edict in front of Puri railway station has stirred a controversy with devotees of Lord Jaganath objecting to it stating that it offends the Hindu sentiments.
In its zealouness to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the East Coast Railway has erected three stone pillars of green granite engraving the anecdotes of Gandhiji’s visit to Puri during the freedom movement in Hindi, English and Odia languages.
The edict reads as:
” In 1939, Gandhiji happened to visit DELANGA which is 29 km North-West from this place. He refrained from ‘darshan’ of the famous JAGANNATH Temple as it prohibited entry of Harijans’. In fact Mahadev Desai and Kastoorba were reprimanded for inadvertently visiting the temple”.
The devotees of Lord Jaganath have started venting their anger against Indian Railways display of sheer disrespect to the sentiments of millions of Odias.
Lord Jaganath is known for his magnanimity. The Lord comes out his sanctum sanctorum to give darshan to people irrespective their cast, creed and religion. Bhakta Salabega, a Muslim is his one of the most favored devotees.
Jaganath devotees have demanded immediate removal of the rock pillars and their destruction.The devotees have also demanded an unconditional apology from Indian Railways.
