The Digha Jagannath temple complex will no longer use the term ‘Dham’ after Odisha’s objection. The West Bengal government has approved the name change
OdishaPlus Bureau
Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has agreed to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s request to remove “dham” from the name of the Jagannath temple complex located at Digha. He announced that the Digha Jagannath Cultural Centre will now be referred to as the Digha Jagannath Temple. Adhikari made this declaration at the state secretariat on Tuesday evening, with BJP Member of Parliament from Puri, Sambit Patra, present beside him. Patra conveyed Majhi’s letter that requested the name change. He stated that the people of Odisha felt “pained and aggrieved” when the previous Bengal government designated the Digha shrine as “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 in Puri is one of them,” he remarked.
Following the inauguration and naming of the site as “Shri Shri Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre,” the Odisha government raised objections, with the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and devotees worldwide also advocating for the removal of the term “dham.” Patra noted that Mamata Banerjee disregarded these appeals and expressed his satisfaction that the current Bengal government “respected the followers of Sanatan dharma” by renaming the temple. “Now, the cultural centre will be known as ‘Shri Shri Jagannath Cultural Centre,'” Adhikari stated.
He further mentioned that rituals would continue “strictly in accordance with the traditions of the original Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri,” with ISKCON currently responsible for daily worship. Adhikari indicated that the project was initially approved in government documents as a cultural centre and that the term ‘dham’ was added later. He instructed Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal to issue directives to eliminate the term, stating, “Necessary government 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, expressed his approval of the decision to rename it Digha Jagannath Mandir. He mentioned that Adhikari spoke to him personally and that the temple community was pleased. He described the change as a step that reflects harmony and respect.