Bhubaneswar: Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the Puri King and chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), has urged the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to intervene in removing the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ from the newly inaugurated Jagannath Temple at Digha in West Bengal. The call comes amid widespread protests in Odisha against the use of the term, which is traditionally reserved for the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
In a letter addressed to Goverdhan Das Prabhu, chairman of ISKCON’s governing body commission in Mayapur, West Bengal, Deb sought resolution of the sensitive issue. He emphasized that the use of ‘Jagannath Dham’ for the Digha temple violates scriptural injunctions and long-standing traditions, hurting the sentiments of countless devotees worldwide.
The Puri King’s appeal coincided with a video message from Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, recorded in Punjab, criticizing the use of ‘Jagannath Dham’ for the Digha temple. The Shankaracharya alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to use the term was driven by financial motives, noting that Puri’s economy, including the livelihoods of temple servitors (Pandas) and local shopkeepers, relies heavily on Bengali tourists.
Supporting this stance, Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Uttarakhand also asserted that the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ is exclusive to the Puri temple.
In his letter, Deb cited both Shankaracharyas, stating, “Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj of Goverdhan Peeth (Puri) and Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati Maharaj of Jyotish Peeth have categorically declared that only Purushottama-kshetra Puri is ‘Jagannatha-Dham’ and no other temple or place should be called as such.”
As the primary servitor of Lord Jagannath and acknowledging ISKCON’s role in supervising rituals at the Digha temple, Deb requested ISKCON to persuade the Digha temple trust board to refrain from using the term ‘Dham’. He noted that the Shankaracharya of Goverdhan Peeth, Puri, holds the highest religious authority as the ‘Adi Guru’ and ‘Parama Guru’ in the tradition of Lord Jagannath.
The controversy has sparked significant concern among devotees, with Deb highlighting that labeling the Digha shrine as ‘Jagannath Dham’ or ‘Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre’ disregards established religious norms, causing widespread discontent.
