Proposed Jagannath temple in London to get Neem wood from Bhubaneswar
A Neem tree from Bhubaneswar in Odisha has been identified for making the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan for the Jagannath Temple that is coming up in London — a significant step in bringing authentic Jagannath traditions to the United Kingdom.
The Sacred Neem Tree
During an international webinar convened by the Jagannath Temple Trust UK, Prof. Sanjay Satapathy of Ravenshaw University proposed that the wood of the auspicious Neem tree having the images of Conch, Wheel, Mace & Lotus — grown in his official residence at Bhubaneswar — may be used for the carving of idols of the four deities.
The chairman and all the trustees present in the digital platform heartily welcomed the proposal and unanimously endorsed it.
Why Neem Wood?
The murtis of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana Chakra are traditionally made of Neem wood (Azadirachta indica). Neem wood is chosen because the Bhavishya Purana declares it to be the most auspicious wood from which to make Vishnu murtis.
The identified Neem tree bears auspicious signs — images of Conch (Shankha), Wheel (Chakra), Mace (Gada) & Lotus (Padma) — which are the four symbols associated with Lord Vishnu, making it especially sacred for this purpose.
The Temple Vision
The vision, objectives and roadmap of the coveted structure were deliberated during the International Webinar, presided over by the Chairman of the Trust, Dr. Sahadev Swain, with the programme and planning presented by the General Secretary of the Trust, Dr. Prakash Dey.
The official announcement of the creation of the Trust and their vision was unveiled in the presence of the Governor of Odisha Shri Ganeshi Lal, Union Minister Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, and Gajapati Maharaja, King of Puri Shri Dibyasingha Deb, along with other members of the global Odia diaspora.
"The Temple shall emerge as the epicentre of Jagannath cult and culture in entire Europe."
Community Support
Nihar Samantara, Chief Mentor of Odisha without Border, stressed the dire need of the temple in London keeping in view of the faith and belief of numerous Lord's devotees residing in the UK and across Europe.
The project has received widespread support from the global Odia diaspora and Jagannath devotees worldwide, marking a significant cultural milestone for the Hindu community in the United Kingdom.
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