After defeating Afghanistan’s Nadir Shah in battle, the Shree Jagannath Sena convener stated that Maharaja of Punjab Ranjit Singh had given the diamond to the Puri Lord.
A socio-cultural organisation from Odisha has asked President Droupadi Murmu’s help, claiming that the Kohinoor diamond belongs to Lord Jagannath, so that the United Kingdom can return it to the well-known Puri temple.
Since Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, her son Prince Charles has taken the throne. As is customary, the 105-carat diamond will now belong to his wife, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, who has succeeded her as the Queen consort.
A Puri-based organisation called Shree Jagannath Sena sent the President a message asking for her help in expediting the process of returning the historically significant Kohinoor diamond to the shrine from the 12th century.
“Sri Jagannath Bhagban owns the Kohinoor diamond. The English Queen is now holding it. Sena convener Priya Darsan Pattnaik wrote in the memo, “Kindly request our Prime Minister to take steps to transfer it to India for Lord Jagannath as Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated it to God Jagannath in his will.
According to Pattnaik, Maharaja of Punjab Ranjit Singh gave the diamond to the Puri Lord after defeating Afghan general Nadir Shah in combat. But it wasn’t given over right away.
Anil Dhir, a historian and researcher, told PTI that after Ranjit Singh passed away in 1839, the British took the Kohinoor away from his son Duleep Singh despite knowing that it had been left to Lord Jagannath at Puri.
Pattnaik claimed that on October 19, 2016, following his letter to the Queen in this regard, he received a communication from Buckingham Palace asking him to appeal to the British government directly because Her Majesty follows the advice of her Ministers and maintains strict non-political behaviour at all times. He said that the memo to the President included a copy of the letter.
When asked why he remained silent about the matter for six years, Pattnaik responded that he was unable to pursue the case with the UK government because he was refused a visa to travel to England.
Even if there are other claimants, like as Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the heirs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Dhir maintained that Sena’s claim is justified. In his last will and testament, Maharaja Ranjit Singh bequeathed the Kohinoor to Lord Jagannath. According to the historian, a British Army officer certified the document, and Delhi’s National Archives had the documentation to prove it.
Bhupinder Singh, an MP for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, brought up the subject of bringing the diamond back in the Rajya Sabha in 2016. Jayant Sarangi, a BJP lawmaker from Puri, declared he will bring up the issue in the Odisha Assembly.
Nearly 170 years ago, the Maharaja of Lahore “surrendered” the Kohinoor diamond to the then-Queen of England but “did not hand over” it to the British.
Author and historian William Dalrymple noted in his book, “Kohinoor” that child Sikh heir Duleep Singh regretted having surrendered the jewel to Queen Victoria. However, he also wished to give it to the Queen as a man.
The Kohinoor diamond, reportedly one of the most valuable gems in the world, was reportedly discovered in India in the 14th century while coal mining in the Kollur mine in South India during the reign of the Kaaktiya Dynasty. The Indian government’s position in the Supreme Court was that the diamond, estimated to be worth over USD 200 million, was neither stolen nor “forcibly” taken by British rulers but rather given to East India Company by erstwhile rulers of Punjab.
Since it came into British hands, only women have worn the Kohinoor diamond since it is believed to bring bad luck to men.
(With Agency Inputs)
Prasanta Patnaik