TNI Bureau: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the word “Dham” will be removed from the name of the Digha Jagannath temple complex, after receiving a letter from Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking the change.

Addressing the issue, Suvendu Adhikari said the shrine will henceforth be known as the “Digha Jagannath Cultural Centre” instead of “Digha Jagannath Dham.” He stated that the term “Dham” had been added by the previous government and described the move as inconsistent with the religious traditions associated with Sanatan Dharma.

The announcement was made by Suvendu Adhikari in the presence of Puri MP Sambit Patra, who was in Kolkata to personally hand over CM Mohan Majhi’s letter, in which he urged the West Bengal government to drop the word “Dham” from the Digha temple complex. The Odisha Chief Minister had argued that the title “Jagannath Dham” is uniquely and historically associated with the sacred Jagannath Temple in Puri, one of Hinduism’s four revered Char Dham pilgrimage sites.

Adhikari said he had taken note of the concerns raised by devotees, religious scholars and socio-cultural organisations. He assured that the word “Dham” would be removed at the earliest and informed that a proposal for the renaming would be placed before the state Cabinet for formal approval.

The proposed renaming is expected to preserve the distinct religious identity and sanctity of Jagannath Dham in Puri while strengthening the cultural and spiritual ties between Odisha and West Bengal.