Odisha devotees demand removal of 'Jagannath Dham' label from Digha temple

Bhubaneswar: A strong resentment is brewing among devotees of Lord Jagannath in Odisha over the West Bengal government's portrayal of the newly inaugurated Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham', with at least two former members of the 12th-century Puri shrine's managing committee demanding the withdrawal of what they call a "self-styled" title.

While many Hindu pundits, researchers, servitors and scholars have rejected the naming of the Digha Jagannath Temple as a "Dham," renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has sought a clarification from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

He accused Banerjee of hurting the religious sentiments of crores of Lord Jagannath devotees across the globe.

After the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple in Digha on Wednesday, Banerjee referred to it as a "Dham." Pattnaik also pointed out that a newspaper advertisement from the West Bengal government also referred to it as "Jagannath Dham, Digha." While most critics welcomed the establishment of the temple in Digha, they strongly opposed linking the term "Dham" with it.

In a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the Padma awardee said, "This statement has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees worldwide. According to our scared scripture (Shastras), there exists only one Jagannath Dham, which is located in Puri. Associating any other temple with the title may lead to confusion and contradicts long-standing spiritual and Hindu cultural tradition." The sand artist urged Majhi to intervene in the matter, engage with his West Bengal counterpart, and take appropriate action.

Pattnaik also highlighted reports that a few sevayats (temple servitors) from the Puri temple, who participated in the Digha temple’s inauguration, have claimed that "Brahma" has been installed in the stone idol of Lord Jagannath.

He said, "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, rooted in centuries of tradition and ritual secrecy." Pattnaik, who also shared a copy of his letter with Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, requested a thorough investigation by the state government, particularly to clarify the use of the term "Brahma" and the designation "Jagannath Dham." He warned, "Misrepresentations like these could create confusion both for followers of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and for non-Hindus around the world."

Speaking to PTI, Pattnaik said, "I request the West Bengal Chief Minister to tender an apology to millions of Lord Jagannath devotees for projecting the temple at Digha as a 'Dham.'" Another ex-member of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, Madhab Mohapatra, appealed to Banerjee to refrain from making what he termed a "false claim." "This appears to be part of an evil conspiracy against Jagannath Dham and Sanatan Dharma," he alleged.

Stating that Adi Shankaracharya had accorded the status of "Dham" to Lord Jagannath’s Puri peeth, a senior servitor Ramachandra Dasmohapatra said, "How can Digha become a ‘Dham’? All seas are not ‘Mahodadhi’ or all places of Jagannath Temple across the world are not ‘Dham’. Please do not mislead the people. Please understand the great scriptures and get enlightened what exactly the word ‘Dham’ means." Dasmohapatra, who also belongs to 'Daitapati Nijog' (The servitors who change ‘Brahma’ materials from old wooden idol to new one during Nabakalebar festival), raised question and said, "The idols in Puri are made from Neem trees while the idols at Digha are from stones. The Brahma materials are not installed in stone." Meanwhile, Shree Jagannath Sena convener Priyadarshan Pattnaik came down heavily on Banerjee and urged her to stop misleading Bengali people, who are devout believers in Lord Jagannath.

"Mamata Didi should not mislead the people of Bengal. Bengali people know what is what and it is difficult to mislead them."