A foreign woman’s tattoo of Lord Jagannath on her thigh has caused an uproar in Odisha, prompting the police to register a case against her.
A photo of the tattoo, which was inked at a parlour in Bhubaneswar, went viral on social media, sparking protests among Jagannath devotees. According to a police officer, the woman works for a non-governmental organization.
A group of Jagannath devotees lodged a complaint at Sahid Nagar police station on Sunday. Following this, a case was registered under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs.
Subrat Mohani, one of the complainants, stated, “Inking Lord Jagannath’s tattoo at an inappropriate place has hurt our sentiments. It is an insult to all Jagannath devotees and Hindus in general. We filed the FIR demanding legal action against those involved in this incident.”
In response to the controversy, both the foreign woman and the tattoo parlour owner issued public apologies on social media.
With folded hands, the woman appeared in a video, stating, “I did not intend to disrespect Lord Jagannath. I am a true devotee and visit the temple daily. This was a mistake, and I deeply regret it. I asked the artist to ink the tattoo at a hidden place, not intending to cause any issue. I sincerely apologize. As soon as the tattoo area heals, I will remove it. Please forgive me.”
The tattoo parlour owner explained that the woman had specifically requested the Lord Jagannath tattoo on her thigh. “Our staff advised her against it and suggested placing it on her arm instead. However, she insisted on getting it on her thigh. I sincerely apologize for this incident. I was not present at the shop when it happened. The tattoo artist will either cover or remove the tattoo after about 25 days, as removing it now could cause an infection,” he said.
The woman has assured that she will return to the shop to have the tattoo either removed or covered up, he added.
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