Puri rejoices as Bengal govt decides to remove ‘dham’ from Digha temple name

Puri: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s decision on Tuesday to drop ‘dham’ from the Jagannath shrine in Digha was met with jubilation by servitors and devotees.

Senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra said Jagannath Dham of Puri occupies a unique place among the sacred dhams of Hinduism. “There was strong opposition when stone idols were installed at the Digha temple and the complex was named as Jagannath Dham. We welcome the removal of the word. The rituals should now be conducted according to the schedule and traditions prescribed by the Gajapati Maharaja, and guidance from senior servitors may be sought whenever required,” Dasmohapatra said.

Puri MP Sambit Patra, who had earlier raised the issue with Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, said the objection was never about the temple, but only to the use of the word ‘dham’. “In Sanatan dharma, four sacred dhams hold special significance, and Puri is one of them. The naming of the Digha temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’ had hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees,” Patra said.

Senior servitor Anu Pradhan described the decision as a correction of a longstanding mistake. “Despite repeated appeals that no place other than Puri could be designated as a dham, the previous dispensation remained adamant. We thank the present govt for recognising the issue and changing the name,” Pradhan said.

Jagannath culture researcher and devotee Sidharth Acharya said the designation of a ‘dham’ carries scriptural and historical significance. “The four sacred dhams were identified by Adi Shankaracharya. Puri has enjoyed that status for centuries. Merely constructing a temple at another location does not make it a dham. Naming Digha as a dham was a grave error and such mistakes should not be repeated elsewhere,” Acharya said.

Rajkishore Patra, vice-president of Puri Hotel Association, said the controversy had never diminished Puri’s religious importance. “For devotees, Jagannath first means Puri. The removal of the word is a welcome step,” he said.