Puri King seeks ISKCON’s intervention to remove ‘Dham’ tag from Digha Jagannath Temple

Bhubaneswar, May 7: Amid growing protests in Odisha, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular King of Puri and chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), has formally sought the intervention of ISKCON to resolve the controversy surrounding the use of the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ for a newly-inaugurated temple in Digha, West Bengal.

In a letter addressed to Goverdhan Das Prabhu, chairman of ISKCON’s governing body commission in Mayapur, the Puri King urged the organisation to remove the ‘Dham’ reference from the Digha temple, citing the term’s religious and cultural sanctity associated solely with Puri’s Jagannath Temple.

His plea aligns with strong reactions from top religious leaders. In a video message from Punjab, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati condemned the move, alleging political motives behind West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s support for the Digha temple. He claimed the move targets Bengali tourists who sustain the economy of Puri, thereby indirectly hurting local servitors and shopkeepers.

Adding to the spiritual opposition, Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati also declared that only Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) can be referred to as ‘Jagannath Dham’.

The controversy has now drawn national attention, highlighting deep religious sensitivities tied to Lord Jagannath’s sacred abode in Puri.