UK's first dedicated Jagannath Temple gets pledge of Rs 250 crore from Indian billionaire

LONDON: The UK charity raising funds to build Britain’s first dedicated Jagannath Temple has received a pledge of £25 million (Rs 250 crore) towards temple construction from an Odia entrepreneur. This is one of the largest philanthropic donations given to a temple outside India.

Billionaire Biswanath Patnaik, chairman and founder of the FinNest Group of Companies, an early-stage private equity investment firm that invests in renewables, announced his pledge to the Shree Jagannatha Society UK (SJSUK) during the UK’s first-ever Jagannath Convention held on Akshaya Trithiya on Sunday. Arun Kar, MD of FinNest, is also a principal donor.

Plans for the temple are speeding ahead with £7 million (Rs 70 crore) of the £25 million to be spent on acquiring nearly 15 acres of suitable land in the outskirts of London. A pre-planning application has been submitted to the local council. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

More than 600 devotees from across the UK and Ireland registered for the convention, the first of its kind in Europe. Dignitaries included Indian deputy high commissioner Sujit Ghosh and Amish Tripathi, author and minister (culture and education) at the Indian high commission.

The convention was graced by Gajapati Maharaj Shri Dibyasingha Deb, the titular maharaja of Puri and aadya sevak (first and foremost servitor) of Lord Jagannatha, alongside titular maharani Leelabati Pattamahadei.

Addressing the convention at the Navnat Centre in Hayes, Gajapati Maharaj spoke on the traditions of Lord Jagannatha and the significance of Purushottama Kshetra and declared his joy that the worship of Lord Jagannatha has gradually spread to different parts of India and the world.

“Lord Jagannatha is invoked and worshipped by virtually all the diverse religious sampradayas, each in their own way. Lord Jagannatha is also worshipped by Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. This universal all-inclusive dimension of the tradition of Lord Jagannatha reminds us that we are all children of the one divine father (vasudhaiva kutumbakam) and co-travellers on the path to divinity,” he said.

Dr Sahadev Swain, chair of the SJS UK, expressed confidence that the temple will become the epicentre of Jagannatha culture in Europe and a prominent place of pilgrimage.

The Shree Jagannatha Society UK was set up three years ago on the same auspicious day of Akshaya Trithiya and registered with the Charity Commission.