Lord Jagannath tattoo on foreign woman's thigh sparks outrage in Odisha, police register case

A tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman’s thigh has triggered an outrage in Odisha, leading to the registering of a police case against her.

A photo of the woman’s tattoo, which she had inked at a parlour in Bhubaneswar, went viral on social media, triggering protests by Jagannath devotees, a police officer said, adding she works for a non-governmental organisation.

A few Jagannath devotees filed a complaint with the Sahid Nagar police station on Sunday and a case was registered under Section 299 of BNS (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), the officer said.Subrat Mohani, one of the persons who lodged the police complaint, said, ”Inking Lord Jagannath tattoo at an inappropriate place hurt our sentiments.

It is an insult to all Jagannath devotees and the Hindus in general. We filed the FIR demanding legal action against those involved in this incident.” Following the controversy, the foreign national and the owner of the tattoo parlour issued public apologies on social media.With folded hands, the woman, in a video, said, ”I did not want to disrespect Lord Jagannath. I am a true devotee of Lord Jagannath and I go to temple every day.