Bhubaneswar, May 6 -- Historian Anil Dhir has downplayed the controversy surrounding the newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha, calling it an issue that is being unnecessarily exaggerated and clarified calling a place a 'Dham' does not grant it religious status equivalent to the traditional four Dhams.

Speaking on the matter, Dhir remarked, "...This is not an issue at all; it is being blown out of proportion without any reason. The crux of the matter is that a new temple has come up in Digha, a town on the border of Odisha. They have installed stone idols of Jagannath, which are not as per the prescribed rules..."

Dhir also criticised the growing politicisation of the Jagannath temple in recent years.

"Just writing the name Dham ...