Bhubaneswar: Escalating the interstate row over the naming of a newly constructed Jagannath Temple in West Bengal’s Digha as “Jagannath Dham,” Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Thursday said that the state government will soon initiate legal action on the matter.
Speaking to the media, Harichandan said, “Despite Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s letter requesting the removal of the ‘Jagannath Dham’ signboard, no steps have been taken by the West Bengal government. Therefore, the Odisha government will promptly pursue legal options. Discussions are underway to finalize the nature of the legal proceedings.”
The controversy stems from the naming of the Jagannath Temple in Digha, located in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, as “Jagannath Dham”—a term historically and spiritually linked to Puri, one of the Char Dhams of Hinduism and the most revered abode of Lord Jagannath.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier written to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government urging the removal of the term “Dham” from the Digha temple’s name. In his letter, Majhi emphasized that “the title ‘Jagannath Dham’ is sacred and exclusively associated with Puri. Using this title for another temple deeply hurts the religious sentiments of millions of devotees and causes unnecessary confusion.”
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. In his letter, Pattnaik called the use of “Jagannath Dham” for Digha misleading and emotionally distressing for Lord Jagannath’s followers. “Immediate action is necessary to preserve the sanctity and uniqueness of this revered religious identity,” he wrote.
Joining the chorus, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the hereditary chief servitor of the Puri temple and a respected religious authority, strongly objected to the naming. “Puri is the only ‘Jagannath Dham.’ No other place can be called by that name,” he stated, citing scriptural authority and the endorsement of the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha of Shri Jagannath Temple.
He urged the temple management in Digha to refrain from using titles such as “Jagannath Dham” or “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre”, to avoid infringing on a religious identity that holds deep significance across India and the world.
The Odisha government’s legal response is now anticipated to become the next flashpoint in the ongoing cultural and spiritual dispute, which has triggered strong emotions among Jagannath devotees.
