Name controversy of Digha Jagannath temple

Dubela, Tanisha Das: The former chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee built a temple in Digha, West Bengal, which was initially called “Jagannath Dham Digha”. The Odisha government and Puri Jagannath temple authorities had raised objections to using the word “Dham” because, as per Hindu mythology, there are only four “Dhams” to be worshipped as symbols of religious belief.

The Odisha government said that calling the temple in Digha a “Dham” hurts the sanctity and identity of Puri Jagannath Dham, which has been preserved for decades. To avoid any kind of controversy and inter-state hurt of religious sentiments, the West Bengal government has agreed and ensured to rename it. This shows how cultural or religious naming can lead to political issues between two states.

The West Bengal government had built this temple in Digha to boost tourism and to give the people of Bengal an alternative place to visit.

Photo credit: Amit Ranjan Das