Lower Suktel Dam project impact: Among villagers, Lord Jagannath too displaced in Odisha 

The whole Dungurupali village in Bolangir district was in tears on Sunday when the villagers had to relocate the idol of Lord Jagannath from a 400-year-old temple to a temporary camp due to the Lower Suktel Dam. 

Till some days ago, Dungurupali village was full of activities. There were lines of houses, a school and agricultural fields. And the village had a Jagannath temple as well. In case of any difficulty, the villagers would rush to the temple to share their problems with the Lord. 

Due to the Lower Suktel Dam, the villagers have been displaced. On Sunday, the grief-stricken villagers took the idol of Lord Jagannath in a procession to the temporary camp. While the procession was passing through the village road, the villagers couldn’t help crying. They said they are worried more about the lord than their uncertain fate. 

Now the temple is there. But the sanctum sanctorum is empty and the whole village has turned into a ghost village, there are heaps of demolition materials everywhere. 

“Our village was like heaven. We were living happily there. Now the temporary houses provided to us are leaking. The floor is wet. Whenever we take the matter up with the officials, they only pay lip service to us. We can’t describe our feelings in words when we had to relocate our Lord Jagannath from the temple to our camp site,” said a displaced villager Sunita Pradhan, while tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Another displaced villager, Tikeman Rai said, “Our hearts are bleeding. We have left our forefathers’ lands behind. That was our birthplace. Even the Lord has to face displacement.”

When asked about his feelings, temple priest Laxmiprasad Chand said, “I am feeling very sad. But we can’t deny displacement when something for the nation is being constructed. For the betterment of the society, even Lord Krishna had to leave Mathura and seek land in the sea. Similarly, the lord has come to the temporary camp.”

The villagers have requested the administration to construct a temple for Lord Jagannath and make arrangements for all the rituals. 
Ghateswar and Manoranjan Joshi