Servitors of the Shree Jagannatha Temple in Puri are optimistic that the BJP leadership in Bengal will address Odisha’s request to remove the ‘Dham’ suffix from the Jagannath shrine established by the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal after the government forms on May 9. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi previously wrote to Mamata, asking her not to refer to the temple as Jagannath Dham. Majhi has been appointed as the central co-observer by the BJP leadership for the election of the leader of the legislature party in Bengal, who is likely to become the chief minister.

The former royal family of Puri, led by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, has also raised objections to the naming of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham. Odisha BJP Vice-President Golak Mohapatra stated to The Telegraph, “After the new government is formed, the issue will be resolved. The word Dham will be dropped.”

Another senior BJP leader in Odisha indicated that both Majhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the central observer for the selection of the BJP legislative party leader in Bengal, “would certainly work” towards meeting this demand and “convince the new government to drop the word Dham”.

Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, a veteran servitor of the Puri Jagannath Temple, urged the new leadership in Bengal to promptly remove the word ‘Dham’ from Jagannath Dham, stating, “There can be Jagannath temples anywhere but there is only one Jagannath Dham, that is in Puri.”

Priyadarshana Patnaik, convenor of Jagannath Sena, an organization dedicated to preserving Jagannath culture, expressed hope that the new regime would quickly withdraw the term Dham and replace it with a new signboard reading Jagannath Temple, Digha. She called on the BJP leadership in Bengal, the Odisha government, and the Centre to take appropriate measures, noting that even the Puri Maharaja had previously raised the issue.

Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan remarked, “The name of Lord Jagannath is revered globally. Unfortunately, some people have drawn comparisons between Jagannath Dham and the Digha temple for political reasons. However, Mahaprabhu has already given his answer.”

The Digha Jagannath temple was inaugurated on April 30, 2025, by Mamata, and was subsequently named Jagannath Dham, Digha. Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, who is considered the first sevak of Lord Jagannath, has stated that the Digha Jagannath temple cannot be referred to as ‘Jagannath Dham’.

The Gajapati cited scriptures to explain why other Jagannath temples should not be called Dham, asserting that using the term would offend the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees. He stated, “The Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha (the highest religious body in Puri) had mentioned that ‘the original Peetha (seat) of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu is Purushottama Kshetra’. Even if the idols of the Chaturdhamurti (the four idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Sudarshan) are established in any other place other than Puri, they cannot be called ‘Jagannath Dham’, ‘Shri Purushottam Kshetra’, ‘Shri Kshetra’, or ‘Neelachal Dham’. Therefore, the Jagannath temple in Digha or the place cannot be called Shree Jagannath Dham, Shri Kshetra, Purushottam Kshetra, or Nilachal Dham.”

He urged the Digha Jagannath temple trustee to avoid using the term ‘Dham’. The Gajapati also maintained that the prasad offered to the deities in other Jagannath temples should not be termed ‘Maha Prasad’, as per scriptures, only the bhog at the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple can be referred to as ‘Maha Prasad’.

Chief Minister Majhi stated in his letter to Mamata, “Shree Jagannath Dham in Puri is one of the Char Dhams of Hinduism and holds unparalleled religious, spiritual and cultural significance, not just for the people of Odisha, but for millions of devotees across India and the world. The name ‘Jagannath Dham’ holds a unique and sacrosanct identity linked to Puri, and its usage in reference to any other temple or location hurts sentiment and emotion of millions of pilgrims, devotees, and the general public, besides diluting the distinct heritage of Shree Jagannath Dham, Puri.”