Digha Jagannath Temple gets new signage after name revision
Kolkata, June 10
New signage was installed at the Jagannath temple premises in Digha in East Midnapore district on Wednesday, a day after the state government announced the official name change of the complex.
The word 'Dham' has been removed and replaced with 'Cultural Centre'. A flex bearing the name 'Shri Sri Jagannath Cultural Centre' was installed within the temple premises on Wednesday.
The issue of identifying the Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham' had triggered a controversy earlier. While the facility was described as a 'Cultural Centre' in official documents, the previous Trinamool Congress government had added the word 'Dham' after the construction of the temple.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had also questioned the move. He was then serving as the Leader of the Opposition.
Following the formation of the new government in the state, CM Suvendu Adhikari announced that the Digha Jagannath temple would henceforth be identified by the name recorded in official documents.
Under the revised nomenclature, the complex will be known as 'Shri Sri Jagannath Cultural Centre' and not 'Jagannath Dham'.
The Chief Minister made the announcement on Tuesday after accepting a proposal in this regard from Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
A day later, a new flex carrying the revised name was installed at the temple premises.
The main entrance of the Jagannath temple in Digha earlier displayed signage reading 'Jagannath Dham'. That signage has now been removed.
A new sign bearing the words 'Shri Sri Jagannath Cultural Centre' has been installed within the temple complex.
Ramnagar BJP MLA Chandrashekhar Mandal and Kolkata ISKCON President Radharman Das, who is also one of the trustees of the Digha Jagannath temple, were present during the programme.
The MLA said, "We don't want change, we want correction. Our government did not discard the previous government's project. It only corrected it. In that way, since there were various controversies regarding the Digha Jagannath Dham, the name has been changed to 'Digha Jagannath Temple and Cultural Centre' by removing 'Dham' from it."
— IANS
Reader Comments
I don't see the big deal. Whether it's called Dham or Cultural Centre, what matters is the devotion people have when they visit. But I do think the government has better things to focus on than renaming signs. 😕
The BJP MLA said it well: "We don't want change, we want correction." The previous government added 'Dham' without proper process. It's good that the new government is correcting the records. Transparency and rule of law should come first, no matter the temple.
As someone from Odisha, I find this a bit strange. Jagannath Dham has a specific cultural and religious meaning - it's associated with Puri. Using 'Dham' for a new temple in Bengal was always controversial. This correction makes sense from a heritage perspective.
I visited Digha last year and loved the temple. The name change is confusing for tourists though. One day it's a 'Dham', next it's a 'Cultural Centre'. The government should focus on maintaining the temple and improving facilities for visitors. That's what really matters. 🙏
It's funny how politicians fight over names while the average devotee just wants to pray in peace. Why not spend this energy on actually developing the temple area? Better roads, cleanliness, and facilities would help more than a new signboard.
S