Bengal government distributes Digha Jagannath Temple prasad
West Bengal is on a mission to deliver prasad—sweets blessed at the new Jagannath temple in Digha—to more than 10 million households.
Distributed through the Duare Ration network, each packet comes with two sweets and a photo of the temple.
The campaign kicked off June 17, with no distribution on June 27 due to Rath Yatra.
'Souvenir' instead of prasad: What critics are saying
This move isn't just about sharing sweets—it's sparked political debate.
The BJP says these are regular sweets made outside the temple, not true prasad, and claims Hindu sentiments are being ignored.
To ease tensions, officials started calling it a "souvenir" instead of prasad.
Some also object to non-Hindus preparing or giving out the sweets, while Odisha's government isn't happy about Digha's temple being called a "dham."
Analysts see this as Mamata Banerjee's strategy to counter BJP ahead of elections and appeal to religious voters.