West Bengal Renames Digha Jagannath Temple, Removes ‘Dham’ from Official Title

Bhubaneswar: The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced that the word “Dham” will no longer be used in the name of the Jagannath temple complex at Digha, a decision that comes after months of objections from Odisha over the use of a title closely associated with the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

The announcement was made at Nabanna, the state secretariat in Kolkata, in the presence of Puri MP Sambit Patra. With the change, the facility earlier known as ‘Shri Shri Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre’ will henceforth be called ‘Shri Shri Jagannath Cultural Centre’.

The naming of the Digha temple had triggered a major controversy after the previous government in West Bengal began promoting the shrine as “Jagannath Dham”. The move was strongly opposed in Odisha, where the centuries-old Shree Jagannath Temple is regarded as one of Hinduism’s four sacred Char Dhams.

Religious leaders, servitors and devotees in Odisha argued that the use of the term “Dham” for another temple could create confusion among pilgrims and undermine the unique spiritual status of Puri. The issue also drew objections from the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and several Jagannath organisations.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier written to the West Bengal government, urging it not to use the term “Jagannath Dham” for the Digha shrine. In his communication, he highlighted that Puri’s Jagannath Temple holds a special place in Hindu tradition as one of the country’s four sacred pilgrimage centres.

Speaking after the announcement, Sambit Patra said the sentiments of Jagannath devotees had been respected. He noted that Odisha had consistently raised concerns over the issue and welcomed the decision to remove the disputed term from the temple’s name.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that while the nomenclature has been revised, religious activities at the temple will continue without any change. He stated that the cultural centre will retain its existing identity and that rituals and worship will be conducted according to established Jagannath traditions.

According to the state government, daily worship at the Digha temple is currently overseen by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and the existing system of rituals will remain in place.

The decision is being seen as a move to resolve a sensitive cultural and religious issue that had sparked debate between the two neighbouring states. It is also expected to address concerns among devotees while preserving the distinct identity of Puri as the original and revered abode of Lord Jagannath.