The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
PURI, MAY 5, 2025
A spiritual and cultural storm has brewed over the naming of a newly consecrated Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal. Puri’s titular king and chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, has strongly objected to the use of the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ for the Digha shrine, asserting that such a title is reserved solely for the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
In a firm statement issued on Monday, the Gajapati Maharaja, revered as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, underscored that scriptural authority and centuries-old tradition exclusively recognize Puri as ‘Shree Jagannath Dham’, the eternal and sacred abode of the Supreme Lord.
“Upon learning from media reports about the Digha temple being named ‘Jagannath Dham’ or ‘Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre’, I sought the views of the Muktimandapa Pundit Sabha,” said Deb. “They confirmed that names such as ‘Purushottama-kshetra’, ‘Neelachala Dham’, and ‘Shreekshetra’ are scripturally and historically linked only to Puri.”
Citing revered texts such as the Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana, and Padma Purana, the Gajapati Maharaja stated that the true sanctity of the term ‘Dham’ lies in its reference to the eternal dwelling of the Lord, which according to these scriptures, is Puri alone. He quoted Maharshi Veda Vyasa and Maharshi Jaimini to support the claim that Lord Jagannath is uniquely manifest in physical form in Puri, making it spiritually supreme among all sacred sites.
“Over the centuries, great spiritual luminaries like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and others have recognized only Puri as Shree Jagannatha Dham,” Deb noted, emphasizing the deep religious sentiments and historical continuity involved.
Calling for sensitivity and reverence, the Gajapati urged the authorities of the Digha temple to reconsider the naming, warning that deviations from tradition may inadvertently hurt the religious sentiments of devotees worldwide.
“Temples of Lord Jagannath across the globe should honour the moola-peetha Shreemandira and uphold the sanctity of names and traditions associated with it,” he appealed.
