From Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia - Group of 20 int’l devotees visit Digha Jagannath Dham

Kolkata: A group of 20 international devotees from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and other European countries visited the newly-built Jagannath Dham in Digha on Saturday. For many in the group, it was an emotionally overwhelming moment as they received ‘darshan’ of Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi for the very first time. The temple, an architectural replica of the iconic Jagannath Mandir in Puri Dham, has emerged as a sacred destination for devotees from across the globe — especially for those who are not permitted to enter the original temple in Puri due to traditional restrictions, reads a press statement issued by ISKCON. Vadim Kristov from Ukraine after seeing the temple said: “This is the most divine moment of my life. I never imagined I would be able to have darshan of Lord Jagannath in a temple that feels just like Puri. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister of Bengal for making this possible for devotees like us.” “The moment I saw the deities, I felt a deep connection with the Lord. This temple is a blessing for all international devotees who have longed to experience Jagannath’s darshan.

We are truly grateful to the West Bengal government for this extraordinary gift,” said Miss Violeta Zigo from Lithuania. Radharamn Das, vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata, who accompanied the group, stated: “This temple is not just a structure — it is a symbol of Lord Jagannath’s mercy and His universal appeal. Millions of ISKCON devotees from over 150 countries now have a place where they can come and feel the divine presence of Jagannath. We express our sincere thanks to the Chief Minister for her vision and support. We are getting calls from all over the world where foreigners want to visit Digha to take darshan of the beautiful Deities. This temple is also proving to be a great economic catalyst for Digha, as hotels, local businesses, transport services and the tourism sector are witnessing a remarkable boost due to the growing influx of pilgrims and spiritual tourists.”