Puri King urges authorities to desist from naming new Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham'

Bhubaneswar, May 5 Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the newly consecrated Jagannath Temple at Digha in West Bengal, King of Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, the "Adya-sevak" or First Servitor of Lord Jagannatha, on Monday urged the authorities of 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 Digha Jagannatha Temple 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,” the Puri King 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.

The Gajapati after coming to know about Shree Jagannatha Temple at Digha being named as "Jagannath Dham" or "Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre" 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."

Quoting various references related to Puri Jagannath Temple, Deb noted that the sacred Hindu scriptures like Skanda Purana, Brahma-Purana, Neeladri Mahodaya and other sacred scriptures conclusively established that Shree Purushottamakshetra Puri is the eternal and most Holy Abode of Shree Purushottama-Jagannatha and the sacred eternal abode or Dham of the supreme Lord.

He also stated that over the centuries, the great Founder-Acharyas of various traditional sampradayas of Sanatana Vaidika Dharma, such as, Bhagavatpada Adi Shankaracharya, Shree Ramanujacharya, Shree Nimbarkacharya, Shree Madhvacharya, Shree Ramanandacharya, Shree Chaitanya and Shree Vallabhacharya has also acknowledged Puri as the sacred Shree Jagannatha Dham.

The King indicated that on the basis of the letter of Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha and the references in sacred texts, the sacred town of Puri can only be called Jagannatha Dham.

“For the above reasons and as also stated by Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha in their letter dated May 4, 2025, it is only Puri and no other place which can be named as Jagannatha Dham or Purushottama Dham or Kshetra or as Shreekshetra or as Neelachala Dham,” said Deb.

Similarly, he also claimed that the Moolapeetha of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha at Puri can only be referred to as "Shreemandira".

“The Muktimundupa Pundita Sabha have also stated that Chaturdha Vigrahas should only be worshipped in 'Daru' (wooden) form and not in images made in metal or stone and that it is only the Naivedya offered in Shreemandira which is to be called as 'Mahaprasada'," stated the Puri King.

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