First ever Shree Jagannatha Convention hosted in London

“Lord Jagannatha is the all-pervading Supreme Being, the source of all, and He is present in this form in the Purushottama Kshetra, the coastal town of Puri in the Eastern Indian state of Odisha, as described in the Skanda-Purana, the most voluminous of the eighteen major Puranas. The most significant aspect of the tradition of Lord Jagannatha is its all-encompassing universality. He is invoked and worshipped by virtually all the diverse religious sampradayas; each in their own way. Lord Jagannatha is also worshipped by Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. This universal all-inclusive dimension of the tradition of Lord Jagannatha reiterates the Rigvedic declaration – Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth is one, the wise speak of it in various names).
“Lord Jagannatha reminds us that we are all children of the One Divine Father (vasudhaiva kutumbakam) and co-travellers on the path to Divinity. The tradition of Lord Jagannatha clearly represents ‘’great harmony’; these eternal and fundamental truths have to be well understood and imbibed by mankind today, if peace, harmony and prosperity is to reign on this beautiful planet of ours”. This was revealed in his Keynote Address by His Highness, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the Maharaja of Puri and the Aadya Sevak (first and foremost Servitor) of Lord Jagannatha and the Chairman of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee at Sri Mandir in Purushottama Kshetra, Puri who was visiting London, UK along with Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadei.
Addressing the First Shree Jagannatha Convention London organised by the Shree Jagannatha Society UK (SJSUK) at the Navnat Centre on Sunday, 23rd April 2023, Gajapati Maharaj spoke on the ‘Traditions of Lord Jagannatha and the Significance of Purushottama Kshetra’. He declared his joy that the worship of Lord Jagannatha has gradually spread to different parts of India and, to several countries around the world. Over 600 devotees had registered for this unique convention on Lord Jagannatha which was the first-of-its-kind to be held anywhere in Europe and attracted Jagannatha devotees from across the UK and Ireland. On the auspicious day of Akshaya Trithiya, Gajapati Maharaj, the spiritual guide of SJSUK, expressed his firm belief that with the blessings of Lord Jagannatha, the commitment of Shree Jagannatha Society UK to build a grand Shree Jagannatha Temple in London will soon become a reality. He also answered several questions from the audience on Sanatana Dharma, Jagannatha culture and spirituality particularly pertinent to devotees, resident abroad.
Earlier, welcoming the congregation, Dr Sahadev Swain, Chairperson SJSUK, expressed his confidence that under the guidance of Gajapati Maharaj, the Shree Jagannatha Mandir London will become the epicentre of Jagannatha Culture in Europe and a prominent place of pilgrimage, attracting thousands of devotees and tourists annually from across the world. Dr Swain also introduced and felicitated Shri Biswanath Patnaik, global Indian investor and Chairman FINNEST Group of Companies and Shri Arun Kar, Managing Director of FINNEST UK, who are the Principal Donors of the Shree Jagannatha Mandir London.
Speaking on this occasion, Shri Kar announced that Shri Biswanath Patnaik has pledged a sum of £25 million towards the construction of a magnificent temple for Lord Jagannatha in London, which will be facilitated by FINNEST Group of Companies, of which he is the Managing Director. FINNEST Group of Companies is an early-stage Private Equity investment firm that invests in Renewables, EVs and Hydrogen Locomotives, Innovative Technology, Consumer Market Places, Fintech, Smart Cities and Public Sector, with large investments across the world. A suitable land has been identified and is currently in the final stages of purchase, and a pre-planning application has been submitted to the local government Council to secure permission for Mandir construction.
In his message to the congregation, Shri Patnaik vowed his financial support for the construction of the Mandir and exhorted devotees to join hands and work together with faith in Lord Jagannatha to make the dream of a Mandir a reality at the earliest.
A number of dignitaries graced the occasion and were felicitated by Trustees of SJSUK, including Shri Sujit Ghosh, Deputy High Commissioner, Indian High Commission London; Shri Amish Tripathi, noted author and Minister (Culture & Education), High Commission of India & Director, The Nehru Centre; Smt Trupti Patel, Chairperson Hindu Forum Britain; Swamini Surya Prabha Didi and Swamini Bhakti Priya Didi of Brahmrishi Mission UK. Representatives from Hindu Temples across the UK and Ireland, including Shri Jagannatha Temple Bath, UK and the Jagannatha initiative of the Irish Odia Association in Dublin, Ireland also participated and their services to the Lord were recognised. On this occasion a short documentary detailing the journey of SJSUK about the journey of Shree Jagannatha Society edited by Siddheswar Panda of Nalini TV was released.
Trustees of SJSUK – Shri Bhakta Panda, Dr Aditya Singh, Dr Santosh Pattnayak, Dr Chetan Shatapathy, Shri Sukanta Sahu, Smt Amita Mishra, Smt Nidhi Kar, and Shri Anjan Mishra – expressed their heartfelt gratitude to FINNEST, Shri Biswanath Patnaik and Shri Arun Kar for their generous donation and support for the construction of the Shree Jagannatha Mandir London.
The convention was opened with kirtans from devotees from the Brahmrishi Mission UK and Braj Gopika Seva Mission UK. A captivating Odissi dance was presented by Sushmita Pati and her students from KALA, The Arts, Basingstoke. A satsang of mellifluous bhajans, including the enchanting Jagnnatha Ashtakam composed by Adi Shankaracharya, was performed by British children aged 5 to 15 years from the Gitanjali Academy of Fine Arts Limited (GAOFAL) led by their Guru, Smt Jayeeta Ghosh. The audience were also enthralled by the performance of Shri Asit Tripathy, noted actor and renowned Bollywood playback singer, who sang both Odia and Hindi bhajans in praise of Lord Jagannatha.