Why Puri's King is Urging ISKCON to Reconsider the 'Jagannath Dham' Name in Digha
Puri's Royal Request to ISKCON
Bhubaneswar: The titular king of Puri, Divyasingha Deb, has made a formal appeal to ISKCON, requesting them to persuade the Digha temple trust board to eliminate the 'Jagannath Dham' designation from the newly established temple in West Bengal.
In a correspondence addressed to Shree Goverdhan Das Prabhu, the chairman of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission in Mayapur, the Gajapati Maharaja emphasized that both Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj of Goverdhan Peeth in Puri and Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati Maharaj of Jyotish Peeth in Joshimath have firmly stated that only 'Purushottama-kshetra' Puri holds the title of 'Jagannath Dham', and no other temple or location should bear this name.
Deb, who serves as the primary devotee of Lord Jagannath in Puri, highlighted ISKCON's significant involvement in the rituals at the Jagannath temple in Digha. He urged, "Given the participation of ISKCON representatives on the trust board of the Digha Jagannath temple, I kindly ask you to utilize your influence to convince the Digha Temple Trust Board to refrain from using the term 'dham' in relation to Shree Jagannath Temple at Digha."
He further noted, "As you are aware, the esteemed Shankaracharyas are the highest religious authorities within Sanatana Vaidika Dharma. Additionally, the Shankaracharya of Goverdhan Peeth is regarded as the 'Adi Guru' and 'Parama Guru' in the tradition and culture surrounding Lord Jagannath."
The Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri has asserted, referencing relevant scriptures, that the Shree Jagannath Temple in Digha cannot be referred to as 'Jagannath Dham', as mentioned in Deb's letter.
He quoted the Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha, stating that terms like 'Shree Jagannath Dham', 'Shree Purushottama Dham or Kshetra', 'Shreekshetra', and 'Shree Neelachala Dham' are exclusive to the 'moola-peetha' (original abode) of Lord Jagannath in Puri and cannot be applied to any other location or temple, even if Lord Jagannath is duly consecrated and worshipped there.
In a related video released by Govardhan Peeth, Puri, Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati, currently on a tour in Punjab, remarked, "Lord Brahma initially installed the Shree Jagannath idol in the Puri Temple. Later, Adi Shankaracharya reinstated the 'Daru' (wooden) idols of Lord Jagannath."
"Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Puri servitors and the local economy rely heavily on the spending of Bengali pilgrims. Mamata Banerjee believes that if a Jagannath temple is established in West Bengal, Bengali pilgrims will only spend their money there. An economic strategy is being executed under the guise of Lord Jagannath," the Puri seer stated in the video.