Uproar in Odisha as West Bengal govt calls Digha temple 'Jagannath Dham'

Odisha and West Bengal locked in fierce cultural clash as Bengal's naming of Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham' sparks religious and political controversy

A newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal, has sparked a major controversy between the neighbouring eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal. At the heart of this dispute is West Bengal’s decision to call the temple ‘Jagannath Dham’, a title traditionally and scripturally exclusive to the historic 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha — one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites.

 

Built over 22 acres at a cost of approximately Rs 250 crore, the temple in Digha is being promoted as both a spiritual centre and tourist attraction. However, slogans such as “No need to go to Puri to see Jagannath Dham and the sea,” have intensified resentment, NDTV reported.

 

More than just a name 

The term ‘Dham’ has long held religious importance in Hindu theology. Adi Shankaracharya, a prominent 8th-century Hindu scholar, named four key pilgrimage sites as India’s official ‘Char Dham’: Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram, and Puri. Religious experts, priests, and servitors from Odisha have strongly protested West Bengal’s usage of the term, claiming that it misrepresents and undermines centuries-old traditions.

 

Sudarsan Pattnaik, a prominent international sand artist and Padma Shri awardee from Odisha, has publicly expressed his concerns about the situation. 

 

In a letter addressed to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Pattnaik said, “This statement has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees worldwide. According to our sacred scriptures, there exists only one Jagannath Dham, which is located in Puri. Associating any other temple with the title may lead to confusion and contradict long-standing spiritual and Hindu cultural traditions.”

 

Pattnaik has also urged the Odisha government to engage diplomatically with its West Bengal counterpart to resolve the issue amicably. Copies of the letter were also sent to Odisha's Law Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan.

 

Controversial symbolism 

Adding to the ongoing dispute, promotional materials released by the West Bengal government included imagery that strongly resembled the ‘Neelachakra’ and ‘Bana’ – sacred symbols associated exclusively with the Jagannath Temple in Puri.

 

Critics have accused the Bengal government of cultural appropriation, claiming that the symbols purposely blurs the distinction between the two temples.

 

Political tensions heat up 

Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari, has issued an open letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi demanding immediate clarification. 

 

Adhikari highlighted tender documents from the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO), which describe the structure as ‘Jagannath Dham Sanskriti Kendra’ (cultural centre) and questioned the conflicting public messaging.

 

“If this is a cultural centre, why is the public being invited to a temple inauguration? The invitation card must clearly state what is being inaugurated, a temple or a centre,” Adhikari wrote.

 

Adhikari also previously questioned the legal validity of using state funds for building religious structures, citing the constitutional separation of religion and state. He compared it to the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, funded entirely by public donations.