Bhubaneswar, June 10 (UDN): In a significant development amid the controversy surrounding the naming of the Jagannath temple in Digha, the West Bengal government has agreed to remove the word “Dham” from the shrine’s name. The decision comes after Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi raised concerns over the use of the term, which is traditionally associated with the sacred Jagannath Temple in Puri, one of Hinduism’s four Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
Supporting the Odisha government’s appeal, senior West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari announced that the temple complex currently known as “Digha Jagannath Dham” would be renamed as the “Jagannath Cultural Centre” or a similar cultural designation. He said the move respects the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees and preserves the unique spiritual identity of Puri’s Jagannath Dham.
The issue gained momentum after Chief Minister Majhi formally wrote to the West Bengal government, emphasizing that the title “Jagannath Dham” is intrinsically linked to Puri and holds immense religious, historical, and cultural significance. The decision to drop the term has been welcomed across Odisha, with many viewing it as a gesture of mutual respect and cultural harmony between the two neighbouring states.
The proposal to officially revise the nomenclature is expected to be placed before the West Bengal Cabinet in the coming days.