Bhubaneswar: The BJP’s electoral success in West Bengal has sparked fresh hope among Jagannath’s followers in Odisha that the term ‘dham’ would finally be removed from the Lord’s temple in Digha.For months, religious groups, servitors and Jagannath devotees in Odisha had voiced strong objection to the use of the term Jagannath Dham for the temple in the coastal town of Digha in West Bengal, arguing that the title is spiritually and historically associated with the shrine in Puri, one of Hinduism’s four sacred ‘dhams’.The Digha temple was inaugurated by outgoing West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee exactly a year back. She had also named it Jagannath Dham.
The issue sparked debates across Odisha, with Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and several organisations accusing the Mamata govt of ignoring repeated appeals from devotees and religious scholars with the shrine’s naming.Now, with the BJP in power in Bengal, many in Odisha believe the long-standing controversy would finally see a resolution.Researcher Anita Sabat, who wrote to PM Narendra Modi about the issue on Monday, said there is now hope that this cultural infringement would be stopped.“There were multiple letters written to Mamata, including that by CM Mohan Majhi and Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, requesting her to drop dham from the Digha temple’s name. But there was not a single response from the West Bengal govt,” Sabat said.She added that not just the word ‘dham’ but even the logo of Neelachakra has been copied by the Digha temple, which is a Rs 250 crore replica of the Puri Jagannath Temple.Members of Jagannath cultural organisations said they are hopeful that the new political environment will lead to a more pragmatic approach towards the sentiments attached to Puri’s identity. “Puri is not just a temple town. It is the original Jagannath Dham, recognised for centuries across the world. Devotees were hurt by the use of the word elsewhere. The state govt should now pursue the issue with the new govt in Bengal,” suggested Jagannath scholar Harekrushna Satpathy.
