Outrage In Odisha Over ‘Jagannath Dham’ Label For Digha Temple

A controversy has erupted in Odisha after the West Bengal government’s portrayal of the newly inaugurated Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham', with devotees and priests contending that it is a "self-styled" title, PTI reported.

Devotees and servitors in Odisha have taken strong exception, arguing that the term ‘Dham’ is reserved solely for Puri, home to the original shrine of Lord Jagannath.

Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, who was the chief priest during the inauguration ceremony at Digha temple on 30 April, expressed his disapproval.

“I, too, request West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to remove the word ‘Dham’ from the Digha Jagannath Temple,” he stated on Friday (2 May).

He added, “As per my understanding, Puri is the only place referred to as ‘Jagannath Dham’.”

Dasmohapatra said he would write to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in this regard and urged both the Odisha government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to initiate talk over the matter.

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo stated that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was aware of the issue, and urged everyone to “not jump the gun”.

Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik added weight to the dissent, has sought a clarification from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Majhi, he said, “According to our sacred scripture, there exists only one ‘Jagannath Dham’, which is located in Puri.”

The sand artist urged Majhi to intervene in the matter, engage with his West Bengal counterpart, and take appropriate action.

A further point of contention is the alleged installation of ‘Brahma’ in the Digha temple’s idol—a sacred feature unique to the Puri shrine.

“This claim is highly sensitive, as the concept of ‘Brahma’ in the idol of Mahaprabhu Jagannath is a sacred and unique feature of the original temple in Puri,” said Pattnaik.

Senior servitor Ramachandra Dasmohapatra echoed this sentiment, stating, “How can Digha become a ‘Dham’? All seas are not ‘Mahodadhi’ or all places of Jagannath Temple across the world are not ‘Dham’.”

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