Why Are Odisha Devotees Upset Over Digha Temple's 'Jagannath Dham' Label?

Devotees Express Outrage Over Digha Temple Naming

Bhubaneswar: A wave of discontent is rising among Lord Jagannath's followers in Odisha regarding the West Bengal government's designation of the newly opened Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham.' This has prompted at least two former members of the managing committee of the historic Puri shrine to call for the retraction of what they deem a 'self-styled' title.

Numerous Hindu scholars, pundits, and servitors have dismissed the temple's naming as a 'Dham.' Notably, acclaimed sand artist and Padma Shri recipient Sudarsan Pattnaik has reached out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for clarification.

Pattnaik accused Banerjee of offending the religious feelings of millions of Lord Jagannath devotees worldwide.

Following the temple's inauguration in Digha on Wednesday, Banerjee referred to it as a 'Dham.'

Pattnaik also noted that a government advertisement from West Bengal labeled it as 'Jagannath Dham, Digha.'

While many welcomed the temple's establishment in Digha, they strongly opposed the association of the term 'Dham' with it.

In a letter addressed to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the Padma awardee expressed, 'This statement has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees worldwide. According to our sacred scripture (Shastras), there exists only one Jagannath Dham, which is located in Puri. Associating any other temple with the title may lead to confusion and contradict long-standing spiritual and Hindu cultural traditions.'

Pattnaik urged Majhi to take action and engage with his West Bengal counterpart regarding this issue.

He also highlighted reports that some servitors from the Puri temple, who attended the Digha temple's inauguration, claimed that 'Brahma' has been installed in the stone idol of Lord Jagannath.

He stated, 'This claim is highly sensitive, as the concept of ‘Brahma’ in the idol of Mahaprabhu Jagannath is a sacred and unique feature of the original temple in Puri, rooted in centuries of tradition and ritual secrecy.'

Pattnaik, who shared a copy of his letter with Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, called for a thorough investigation by the state government, particularly to clarify the use of the term 'Brahma' and the designation 'Jagannath Dham.'

He cautioned, 'Misrepresentations like these could create confusion both for followers of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and for non-Hindus around the world.'

In an interview, Pattnaik requested an apology from the West Bengal Chief Minister to the millions of Lord Jagannath devotees for labeling the Digha temple as a 'Dham.'

Another former member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, Madhab Mohapatra, urged Banerjee to avoid making what he called a 'false claim.'

'This appears to be part of an evil conspiracy against Jagannath Dham and Sanatan Dharma,' he alleged.

A senior servitor, Ramachandra Dasmohapatra, emphasized that Adi Shankaracharya had designated the Puri peeth as a 'Dham,' questioning how Digha could be considered one. 'Not all seas are ‘Mahodadhi’ nor are all places of Jagannath Temple across the world ‘Dham.’ Please do not mislead the people. Understand the great scriptures and get enlightened about what the word ‘Dham’ truly means.'

Dasmohapatra, who is part of the 'Daitapati Nijog' (the servitors responsible for transferring 'Brahma' materials during the Nabakalebar festival), raised concerns about the materials used for the idols, stating, 'The idols in Puri are made from Neem trees while the idols at Digha are from stones. The Brahma materials are not installed in stone.'

Meanwhile, Shree Jagannath Sena convener Priyadarshan Pattnaik criticized Banerjee, urging her to stop misleading the Bengali populace, who are devout followers of Lord Jagannath.

'Mamata Didi should not mislead the people of Bengal. Bengali people know what is what and it is difficult to mislead them.'