'Female vibrators in Digha': Bizarre typo in Digha's Jagannath Temple ad sparks outrage

A glaring error in a West Bengal government advertisement promoting the newly constructed Jagannath Temple in Digha has triggered a political storm, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the embarrassing oversight.

It is deeply disgraceful that the Mamata Banerjee governments advertisements for the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Complex in Digha appeared to promote inappropriate content. This is a deliberate insult to Hindu sentiments and a profound disrespect to the devotees of pic.twitter.com/YPhctxZZG5
Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 1, 2025

The ad, published in a local newspaper, mistakenly mentioned "Female Vibrators in Digha" instead of "devotees" in a line describing the temple’s inauguration. The blunder, attributed to a typographical error, quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users alike.

The ad was part of a campaign highlighting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to develop Digha as a spiritual and tourist hub, with the Jagannath Temple being a key project. However, the unintended reference left the government red-faced.

The BJP seized the opportunity to attack the TMC, with party leaders calling it a "disgraceful oversight" that undermined the sanctity of the religious site. "It is deeply disgraceful that the Mamata Banerjee government’s advertisements for the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Complex in Digha appeared to promote inappropriate content," Amit Malviya, BJP’s Information Technology Cell chief, wrote on X.

Meanwhile, resentment has been brewing among Odisha’s Jagannath devotees, who argue that the title "Jagannath Dham" is traditionally reserved for the 12th-century temple in Puri, one of Hinduism’s four cardinal pilgrimage sites. Critics accuse the West Bengal government of undermining the sanctity and unique heritage of the original Puri temple by conferring the same status on the newly constructed Digha replica.

The issue has quickly escalated into a broader debate over religious tradition, regional identity and political symbolism, with demands for the immediate removal of the "Jagannath Dham" label from the Digha temple gaining momentum among Odisha’s religious leaders and devotees

The TMC has yet to issue an official statement on the advertisement mishap, but sources suggest the error may have occurred during the printing process. As the controversy grows, the government faces mounting pressure to clarify the oversight and address devotees’ concerns.