Fury over saree depicting Lord Jagannath and His Siblings in Odisha; calls grow for action against designer

A fresh controversy has erupted after a woman was pictured wearing a saree adorned with images of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. The photo was posted on a social media handle named Sayanti Ghosh Designer Studio, igniting strong criticism from devotees who see it as a disrespectful depiction of the deities.

The saree, which presents the images of the deities in a blouse and saree attire, has sparked intense debate among Jagannath followers. Expressing outrage, several, social media users termed the act an insult to religious sentiments. Some devotees also demanded immediate action against the account and requested that social media platforms remove such posts to prevent further offense.

This is not the first incident of its kind. Earlier, a visual of a dhoti featuring Lord Jagannath’s image had gone viral and faced similar backlash. Religious leaders and devotees emphasized the need to uphold respect for sacred symbols and warn against commercialising or trivialising the depiction of revered deities.

“It is very unfortunate to see the Holy Trinity’s images on the blouse. The government must take necessary action and slap a show cause. Besides, the design should be banned,” demanded Ramesh Prasad Sinha, president of Matha Sanskruti Surakhya Parishad.

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Echoing the same, Saroj Kumar Behera, a Pattachitra artisan, said, “This is an insult to Jagannath culture. The social media handle must be blocked, and a case must be registered. Necessary action must be taken against the wrongdoers.”