By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in a strongly worded letter to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee , said “ The Government of Odisha expresses its deep concern over naming of the recently established Jagannath Temple at Digha, West Bengal, as “Jagannath Dham”,” .
CM Majhi Further said “ In view of this, I request the Government of West Bengal to reconsider the usage of the name “Jagannath Dham” in relation to the Jagannath temple recently established at Digha and refrain from using the term “Jagannath Dham” in its official naming, communication, and promotional materials.
“I sincerely hope that the Government of West Bengal will uphold the spirit of inter-state respect and cultural sensitivity in this matter and take necessary steps to address our concerns,” CM Majhi wrote.
Odisha CM argued that “ As you are well aware, Shree Jagannath Dham in Puri, Odisha, is one of the Char Dhams of Hinduism and holds unparalleled religious, spiritual, and cultural significance, not just for the people of Odisha, but for millions of devotees across India and the world. The name “Jagannath Dham” holds a unique and sacrosanct identity linked to Puri, and its usage in reference to any other temple or location hurts sentiment and emotion of millions of pilgrims, devotees, and the general public, besides diluting the distinct heritage of Shree Jagannath Dham, Puri,”
“While we acknowledge and appreciate the devotion towards Lord Jagannath across regions, the use of the term “Jagannath Dham” in official and promotional contexts for the Digha temple is likely to cause confusion among devotees, dilute the historical identity of Puri as the original and revered abode of the Lord, and hurt the religious sentiments of the people of Odisha,” he added.
