Odisha CM urges Suvendu Adhikari to drop dham from Digha Jagannath Temple name

Published 9 June 2026 · politics

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, urging him to remove the word "Dham" from the name

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, urging him to remove the word "Dham" from the name of the Jagannath temple complex in Digha, saying the term is exclusively associated with the sacred Jagannath Temple in Puri. In his letter, Majhi said the use of the name "Digha Jagannath Dham" has hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees and sparked concerns among scholars and socio-cultural organisations. He stressed that "Jagannath Dham" holds immense spiritual, historical and cultural significance as it refers to the Puri temple, one of the four revered Char Dhams of Hinduism. Read Full Story "The nomenclature carries immense spiritual, historical and cultural significance and occupies a unique place in the faith and consciousness of countless devotees," Majhi wrote.

He requested the West Bengal government to adopt an alternative name, such as "Shri Jagannath Temple, Digha," to preserve the sanctity and distinct identity of Puri's Jagannath Dham. The letter comes after a change of government in West Bengal. Majhi expressed confidence that Adhikari would understand the concerns raised by devotees and stakeholders, recalling his past support for issues related to the heritage of Lord Jagannath. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has accepted the Odisha government's proposal to remove the word "Dham" from the Digha Jagannath Temple complex. The decision follows concerns raised by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and several religious leaders, who argued that the term "Jagannath Dham" is exclusively associated with Puri. ODISHA MP SAMBIT PATRA ALSO RAISED HIS CONCERN The matter also drew support from Puri MP Sambit Patra, who said there was no objection to the construction of Jagannath temples elsewhere in the country, but argued that the use of the term "Dham" for the Digha temple was inappropriate.

"Jagannath Dham is one of the Char Dhams. You cannot play with the emotions of Sanatanis like this," Patra said, adding that the Odisha government had already flagged the issue. Responding to the development, Suvendu Adhikari said he accepted the concerns raised by Majhi and Patra. He stated that the previous West Bengal government had named the facility "Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre", but assured that the word "Dham" would be removed from the temple's name. "That is a cultural centre and it is not a Dham. We will conduct puja and other rituals like a temple, but we will remove the word 'Dham'," Adhikari said, describing the proposal as a step towards respecting the sentiments of devotees. CHIEF PRIEST WELCOMES THE CHANGE Radharamn Das, trustee and chief priest of Digha Jagannath Mandir and Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, welcomed West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's decision to rename "Digha Jagannath Dham" as "Digha Jagannath Mandir." He said the move respects the sentiments of devotees in Odisha and reflects the cultural and spiritual bond between West Bengal and Odisha.