Protect Jagannath Temple Names: A new argument started when the West Bengal government, under Mamata Banerjee, called a newly built Jagannath temple in Digha “Jagannath Dham.” This has upset many people in Odisha, where the original and historic Shree Jagannath Temple is in Puri. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), responsible for running the ancient temple in Puri, has chosen to safeguard the temple’s special names and symbols legally.
Decision to Patent Temple Names and Symbols
At a recent meeting, the SJTA’s managing committee agreed to patent important words and symbols that are part of the temple’s identity and rituals. This means they want to legally register terms like Shree Mandir, Jagannath Dham, Mahaprasad, Shreekhetra, Purusottam Dham, and even the temple’s logo so that others cannot use them without permission.
Arabinda Padhee, the Chief Administrator of SJTA, explained that this decision was made to stop the misuse of these sacred terms by other groups or organizations. The purpose is to protect the special traditions and religious importance of the Puri temple so that they remain preserved for people in the years to come.
Concerns Over Construction Around the Temple
Mr. Padhee also mentioned that many new buildings have been built around the Puri temple without proper planning. These structures are seen as damaging to the area’s spiritual and traditional look. To fix this, the temple administration wants to redesign these buildings to match Odisha’s classic architectural style. They will ask the State’s Urban and Housing Development department to create rules that control how and what can be built near the temple.
The same building rules will also apply to the area around the Shree Gundicha Temple, which is an important site for Lord Jagannath’s devotees. There will be limits on how tall buildings can be in these special zones, to protect the temple’s atmosphere and heritage.
Public Interest and Protests
The move to patent temple-related names has attracted a lot of attention. Many people in Odisha feel strongly about protecting the traditions and identity of the Shree Jagannath Temple. The controversy began when traditional priests from Puri took part in the opening rituals of the new Digha temple, and the temple was called a “Dham.” This led to protests in Odisha, with several cultural groups demanding that the word “Dham” be removed from the Digha temple’s name.
Odisha’s leaders argue that the term “Dham” is deeply connected to Puri, which is one of Hinduism’s four most important pilgrimage sites, known as the Char Dham. They believe using the same name elsewhere could confuse devotees and weaken the special status of Puri’s temple.
Official Actions and Responses
Odisha’s Chief Minister, Mohan Majhi, sent a letter to Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, requesting that the Digha temple’s name be changed and the word “Dham” be removed. Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, who is the traditional king of Puri and leads the temple committee, also became involved. He contacted ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), which is one of the 27 organizations that help manage the Digha temple.
The Odisha government has clearly stated that no wood from the Puri Jagannath temple was used to make the idols for the Digha temple in West Bengal. Officials looked into the issue after a priest from Puri, Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, mentioned in a TV interview that leftover wood from the 2015 Nabakalebara ceremony in Puri was used for the Digha idols. However, after an investigation, it was found that this claim was not true. The priest later admitted that his statement was a mistake and a slip of the tongue.
The inquiry confirmed that the idols for the Digha temple were made by an artisan in Bhubaneswar, who used neem wood bought from a timber supplier, not any sacred wood from the Puri temple. This clarification was given to put an end to rumors and concerns among devotees about the use of Puri’s sacred wood in the new Digha temple.
Why Patenting Matters
The SJTA wants to officially register these special names and symbols so that the Puri temple’s unique identity is protected by law. This would make it harder for other temples or groups to use the same names or symbols, which could mislead people or take away from Puri’s unique heritage. The move is also meant to preserve the temple’s sacred traditions and prevent commercial or unauthorized use of its cultural assets.
Odisha’s decision to patent the names and symbols related to the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri comes after a heated debate over the use of the term “Dham” by a new temple in West Bengal. The state aims to make sure the Puri temple’s religious and cultural importance is honored and kept safe. At the same time, steps are being taken to maintain the traditional look and feel of the temple area by controlling new construction. These actions reflect Odisha’s commitment to preserving its rich religious heritage for future generations.
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