The Odisha government plans to secure trademarks for terms and symbols associated with the revered Jagannath temple in Puri, amid a dispute with West Bengal over the use of the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ for a newly built temple in the coastal town of Digha.
The decision, taken at a recent meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), comes as the BJP-led Odisha administration pushes back against what it describes as the unauthorised appropriation of sacred religious terminology deeply rooted in Odia identity and tradition.
The 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri is one of Hinduism’s most important pilgrimage sites and forms a central part of the state’s cultural and spiritual heritage. Odisha officials say terms like “Shree Jagannath Dham”, “Srimandir”, “Mahaprasad”, “Nilachal Dham”, and “Bada Danda” may be included in the trademark filings.
Arabinda Padhee, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), confirmed the move, stating that the intention is to protect the temple’s distinct religious identity from misrepresentation or misuse.
“This will help prevent unauthorised use of sacred terminology and preserve the spiritual and cultural significance of the temple,” Padhee told reporters.
The row escalated after the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government named a newly constructed temple in Digha as ‘Jagannath Dham’.
Odisha’s Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, wrote to Banerjee earlier this month, requesting that the name be reconsidered, arguing that it offends the religious sentiments of millions of devotees.
In his letter, Majhi said that Puri’s Jagannath temple is the original and only ‘Jagannath Dham’, a term that signifies one of the four sacred Hindu sites known as the ‘Char Dham’, traditionally associated with Adi Shankaracharya.
“This cannot be replicated or relocated. Puri is the true abode of Lord Jagannath,” Majhi said in a recent interview with a media house.
Dibyasingha Deb, the maharaja of Puri and chairman of the temple committee, also criticised Bengal’s move, calling it contrary to Hindu scriptures and traditions. “The West Bengal government cannot use the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ for their temple at Digha,” he was quoted as saying.
Speculation had surfaced that surplus sacred neem wood from Puri’s 2015 Nabakalebara ritual — in which new idols are carved for the deities — was used for the idols in the Digha temple. However, both states have denied the claims.
West Bengal has not formally responded to Odisha’s objections. The temple at Digha is part of a broader initiative by the Bengal government to boost religious tourism along the coastline.
Tourism figures highlight the depth of the cultural ties between Bengal and Puri. In 2023, of the nearly 9.7 million domestic tourists who visited Puri, approximately 1.36 million — or 14 per cent — were from West Bengal, according to official data.
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