Overview

• The West Bengal government's decision to call the newly inaugurated Jagannath Temple in Digha 'Jagannath Dham' has drawn strong objections from Odisha's priests, artists, and devotees.
• Critics argue that the term 'Dham' is scripturally and historically exclusive to the Puri Jagannath Temple, one of Hinduism's four sacred pilgrimage sites designated by Adi Shankaracharya.
• Prominent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik and chief priest Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra have appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to remove the 'Dham' label, citing confusion and hurt religious sentiments.
• Promotional materials for the Digha temple have further fueled tensions by featuring imagery resembling sacred symbols unique to the Puri shrine, leading to accusations of cultural appropriation.
• The Odisha government has initiated inquiries into the matter, while political figures in both states continue to debate the temple's naming and its implications for inter-state relations and electoral strategies.