The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has clarified that it has no authority to facilitate the removal of the ‘Dham’ designation from the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal.
This clarification follows a request from Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of Puri and chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC).
The Puri king had urged ISKCON to intervene and persuade the Digha temple trust to remove the term ‘Dham’ from its name. However, ISKCON officials reiterated that their organisation is solely responsible for performing the temple’s daily rituals and has no role in naming decisions.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government awaits a response from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the request made by Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi for the removal of the title ‘Jagannath Dham’ from the Digha temple. Prominent religious authorities, including Jagadguru Shankaracharyas from Puri and Jyotish Peeth, have emphasised that ‘Jagannath Dham’ refers exclusively to Puri, one of India’s four sacred dhams.
