CM Oks Odisha appeal, ‘dham’ to go from Digha Jagannath temple name

Kolkata: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari accepted Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi's appeal to drop "dham" from the name of the Jagannath temple complex at Digha, announcing that the Digha Jagannath Cultural Centre would henceforth be known as Digha Jagannath Temple.Adhikari made the announcement at the state secretariat on Tuesday evening, with BJP MP from Puri Sambit Patra seated beside him. Patra delivered Majhi's letter requesting the change.Patra said people in Odisha were "pained and aggrieved" when the then Bengal govt named the Digha shrine "Jagannath Dham" on April 30, 2025. "We have no objection to the promotion and expansion of Jagannath temples... However, there are only four sacred dhams and Jagannath Dham at Puri is one of them," he said.After the inauguration and naming of the site as "Shri Shri Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre", the Odisha government objected, with Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and devotees worldwide also calling for the word "dham" to be removed.Patra said Mamata Banerjee ignored those pleas, and added he was glad the present Bengal govt "respected the followers of Sanatan dharma" by renaming the temple."Now, the cultural centre would be known as ‘Shri Shri Jagannath Cultural Centre'," Adhikari said. He added that rituals would continue "strictly in accordance with traditions of the original Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri," with ISKCON currently entrusted with daily worship.Adhikari said the project was approved in govt documents as a cultural centre and that "later, the word ‘dham' was added." He directed chief secretary Manoj Agarwal to issue instructions to remove the word, saying, "Necessary govt guidelines will be issued very soon and the trust managing the temple will also be informed about the decision."Radharamn Das, trustee and chief priest of Digha Jagannath Mandir and vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata, welcomed the decision to rename it Digha Jagannath Mandir. He said Adhikari spoke to him personally and that the temple community was pleased.Calling it a step reflecting harmony and respect between Bengal and Odisha, Das said: "While Lord Jagannath is worshipped worldwide, His eternal home is in Odisha. If the new name honours Odia sentiments, it is a positive step."