Puri Shankaracharya demands ban on Jagannath animated film

Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati has called for a complete ban on the animated film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’, which is scheduled for release on August 28. In a letter to the chairperson of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, the religious leader expressed concerns that the film presents distorted and “ridiculous” cartoon forms of the deity.

The Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha, the highest religious body of the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple, has also requested a ban. The Sabha described the film as “completely fictitious, baseless, and contrary to scriptures, tradition, history, and customs,” warning that such depictions could lead children to develop disrespect toward Hindu deities.