Bhubaneswar: A day after removing the misleading ‘Dham’ signage, West Bengal reinstalled it in front of the newly-built Jagannath Temple at Digha, amid protest against the move in Odisha and elsewhere.
The West Bengal government had reportedly removed the controversial signage amid strong objection from Odisha and devotees of Lord Jagannath.
The recent inauguration of the temple, a replica of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, had sparked a dispute between Odisha and West Bengal. The Odisha government had raised objection to the use of the term “Jagannath Dham” for the temple, a name traditionally and scripturally associated with the 12th-century Puri shrine, one of the four holiest pilgrimage sites of Hinduism.
Sources said that temporary ‘Jagannath Dham’ hoarding had initially been prepared for the inauguration of the temple on April 30. The same was used for selfie points. After the inauguration, the temporary structure was removed.
However, the ‘Dham’ signage reappeared on Tuesday morning. A ‘permanent’ hoarding of ‘Jagannath Dham’ was installed in front of the temple. This apart, arrangements are reportedly being made to make selfie point.
As per information, the development appeared to have come after BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya claimed that the signboard was removed following protests.
“After strong protests from devotees of Prabhu Jagannath, the West Bengal government was forced to quietly remove the misleading ‘Dham’ signage in Digha. This is a significant victory for Hindu unity and a setback to Mamata Banerjee’s divisive agenda. When Hindus stand united, no political manipulation can succeed. Jai Jagannath!”, Malviya said in a post on X on Monday.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reportedly dismissed Malviya’s claim, revealing that she had directed the administration to install a permanent signboard.
The West Bengal government installed a permanent ‘Jagannath Dham’ signboard in large letters on the Digha Jagannath Temple premises, following the Chief Minister’s directive. Additionally, the nearby seaside area has reportedly been named ‘Mahodadhi’, said sources.
The Odisha Government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri have been opposing Bengal’s move as ‘Jagannath Dham’ is only used for the Puri shrine.
As per Hindu tradition, there are four Dhams, popularly known as “Char Dham”, namely Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram, and Puri.
Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deva, the titular King of Puri and Chairman of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, has urged the authorities of the Digha Temple to desist from using ‘Jagannath Dham’ and honour the age-old traditions and heritage of Moola-Peetha Shreemandira at Puri.
“I sincerely urge the authorities of Digha Jagannatha Temple to desist from naming it as “Jagannath Dham” or as “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre”. Temples of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha around the world should honour and uphold the glorious heritage of Lord Jagannatha having regard to the proclamations in sacred scriptures and age-old traditions of the Moola-peetha Shreemandira in Shree Jagannatha Dham Puri,” he said in a statement on Monday.
“Dishonour or disrespect to time-honoured traditions and heritage of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha will hurt the religious sentiments of countless devotees around the world,” he further added.
After learning about Shree Jagannatha Temple at Digha being named as “Jagannath Dham” or “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre”, the Gajapati had sought the opinion of the Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha in Puri Jagannatha Temple in the issue on May 3.
The Sabha conveyed to the king that the Moola-peetha of Shree Jagannatha Mahaprabhu is Purushottama-kshetra (Puri) and that the names, such as, “Jagannatha Dham”, “Purushottama-kshetra”, “Shreekshetra” and “Neelachala Dham” refer only to Puri and cannot be used to refer to any other place where Chaturdha Daru Vigrahas have been consecrated.
“I wish to add here that the glory of Shree Shree Jagannatha Mahaprabhu is most authentically and comprehensively expounded by Maharshi Veda Vyasa in ‘Shree Purushottama-kshetra Mahatmyam’ contained in the ‘Vaishnava Khanda’ of Skanda Purana.”
Meanwhile, noted historian Anil Dhir has said the Digha temple issue is being blown out of proportion without any reason as the use of ‘Dham’ will not give the site the same status enjoyed by the four important seats of HIndu religion.
“This is not an issue at all. It is being blown out of proportion without any reason. The crux of the matter is that a new temple has come up in Digha, a town on the border of Odisha. They have installed stone idols of Jagannath, which are not as per the prescribed rules,” Dhir told the media.
“Just writing the name Dham does not make it a Dham. There are four Dhams in our religion, and these are very important Dhams. I feel the issue is being politicised too much which I think is wrong,” he added.
