Delhi News / President Draupadi Murmu did not go to the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath temple? why the controversy

Delhi News: Many pictures come on social media, which often become the subject of discussion. In the past also a picture surfaced on Twitter which gave rise to a new debate. This picture was not of anyone else, but of the country's President Draupadi Murmu. The picture was shared by the Rashtrapati Bhavan of the President offering prayers at the Jagannath Temple in the capital Delhi, but there was a big controversy over it. Some people claimed that there has been discrimination against the President in the temple, mainly because of his being a tribal. However, the temple administration has completely denied such a claim. What is the whole controversy regarding the President's visit to the Jagannath temple and worship, tell you the whole matter.

भगवान जगन्नाथ की रथ यात्रा के शुभारंभ के अवसर पर सभी देशवासियों, विशेष रूप से भगवान जगन्नाथ के श्रद्धालुओं को मैं हार्दिक बधाई और शुभकामनाएं देती हूं।

मैं महाप्रभु जगन्नाथ से प्रार्थना करती हूं कि भक्ति और समर्पण का यह त्योहार, सभी के जीवन में सुख, शांति और समृद्धि लेकर आए।… pic.twitter.com/qfRIyWastZ

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 20, 2023

When and where did the President visit?

A tweet was made by Rashtrapati Bhavan from June 20, in which information was given about President Draupadi Murmu's visit to Shri Jagannath Temple located in Hauz Khas, Delhi. It was written in the tweet, 'On the occasion of the beginning of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the countrymen, especially the devotees of Lord Jagannath. I pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath that this festival of devotion and dedication may bring happiness, peace and prosperity in everyone's life. Jai Jagannath!

President Murmu offered prayers here and visited the temple. Indeed, the occasion here was something special and personal. Because it was the President's birthday on June 20, she had gone to Shri Jagannath Temple to visit on this occasion.

Why there was a dispute on philosophy, who objected?

Shortly after the picture surfaced, there was a controversy over it. Actually, in the photo shared, it can be seen that President Murmu is standing outside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and worshiping. The priests of the temple are inside the sanctum sanctorum, there is a wooden barricade in the middle and the President is having darshan from outside. Some people on social media objected to this picture and said that it is wrong not to allow the President to enter the temple here. People tweeted old pictures of Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnav, Dharmendra Pradhan, in which they are standing inside the sanctum sanctorum and offering prayers.

The Twitter handle The Dalit Voice tweeted two photographs, one showing Ashwini Vaishnav worshiping in the sanctum sanctorum while on the other hand, President Murmu standing outside and worshiping. Apart from them, journalist Dilip Mandal just tweeted similar pictures on his Twitter and objected to the President not being given entry into the sanctum sanctorum. People on social media claimed that because the President is from a Scheduled Tribe, a tribal, he was not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. Many types of arguments were presented in favor and opposition on this issue on social media.

What did the temple administration say on the controversy?

This whole incident was of Shri Jagannath Temple in Delhi, in such a situation, when there was a dispute about not giving entry to the President, the priest of the temple came forward and explained the whole matter. In an interview to the BBC, temple priest Sanatan Padi said that there is a protocol for worshiping in the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Jagannath Temple, under which only Hindus can enter there, irrespective of their caste.

On the question of why President Murmu worshiped standing outside the sanctum sanctorum, Sanatan Padi explains that all the devotees who come to the temple worship from outside. The President had come to worship on the occasion of her birthday that day, so she worshiped from outside. The priest told that only those people who are officially invited are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. This often happens on the occasion of Rath Yatra, when someone is invited as the chief guest. The same person is worshiped in the sanctum sanctorum, because the President had reached on a personal level that day, so she worshiped from outside.

Let us inform that the pictures of Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnav which are going viral on social media are also from the occasion of Rath Yatra. The picture of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav is of June 2021, at that time he was invited on the occasion of Rath Yatra, that was the reason that he was able to worship inside the sanctum sanctorum.