Bhubaneswar: Amid a growing controversy over the naming of a new Jagannath temple in West Bengal, Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb of Puri on Monday issued a statement clarifying that the recently inaugurated temple in Digha cannot be called Jagannath Dham.
In a press release, the Gajapati Maharaja asserted that the original and only Peetha (sacred seat) of Lord Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu is Purushottama Kshetra, also known as Shree Kshetra, located in Puri, Odisha.
“We came to know from various media reports that the newly constructed Shri Jagannath Temple in Digha, East Medinipur, West Bengal, has been named as ‘Jagannath Dham’ or ‘Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre’,” the Gajapati said.
He further stated that the matter was referred to the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha, the apex religious advisory body in Puri, through a letter dated May 3, 2025. A formal response was received on May 4.
In its reply, the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha reiterated that while deities of the Chaturdha Murti (the four principal deities of Jagannath tradition) may be consecrated elsewhere, no place other than Puri can be designated as Jagannath Dham, Shree Purushottama Kshetra, Shree Kshetra, or Neelachal Dham.
Based on this religious opinion, the Gajapati Maharaja categorically stated that the temple in Digha cannot be referred to by any of these sacred titles.
