Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has declared his intent to officially remove the word “Dham” from the name of the newly built Jagannath Temple in Digha, Purba Medinipur — a move that has been widely welcomed by Lord Jagannath devotees across Odisha and beyond.
The Jagannath Temple at Digha was inaugurated by the previous Mamata Banerjee government, which referred to it as “Jagannath Dham, Digha” in official documents, government advertisements, and WBHIDCO tender papers — sparking immediate outrage among millions of devotees who hold the title “Dham” as exclusively sacred to Puri, Odisha.
According to Hindu scriptures, there are only four Dhams in India — Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameshwaram, and Puri — and the use of the term for any other temple is considered a violation of ancient religious tradition. Scholars, former managing committee members of the Puri shrine, and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik all publicly opposed the naming, calling it an affront to the religious sentiments of crores of devotees worldwide.
Even before becoming Chief Minister, Adhikari had questioned the naming as Leader of the Opposition, demanding the then-CM change the name from “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre” to “Shree Shree Jagannath Temple.” Now in power after BJP’s landmark 2026 West Bengal Assembly election victory, he is in a position to act.
Adding weight to the cause, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi has written a formal letter to Adhikari urging the renaming of the complex to “Shri Jagannath Temple, Digha”, saying such a step would preserve the sanctity of Shree Jagannath Dham, Puri, and foster mutual respect between the two states.
The name change is expected to be formalised through an official state government order, with all HIDCO documents, signage, and public communications updated accordingly. The move is being seen as one of the Adhikari government’s first significant acts of cultural and religious rectification — and a clear break from the controversies of the previous administration.
For the crores of devotees of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, it is not merely a name change — it is a restoration of faith.
read more : Ratha yatra 2026
