Puri: As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s statement and local outfit raised the demand for the renaming of Puri, Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj has outright rejected this move.
The Shankaracharya’s statements were in reaction to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s statement during his visit to the holy city earlier in the day when he had stated that it would be better to change the name of Puri as “Jagannath Dham Puri”.
“World over wherever you utter Puri it is understood as Jagannath Puri. To say Dwarka you have to add Puri to call it Dwarka Puri, Ayodhya is famous as Ayodhya, Puri’s name is famous as Jagannath Puri. Adding or not adding Jagannath when it’s Puri, Jagannath is understood,” the Shankaracharya asserted.
The seer explained that Ayodhya is also a Puri but you have to take the name of Ayodhya and add Puri to call it Ayodhyapuri.
“When you say Puri, it means this Puri. The name Puri in itself is self-sufficient. It’s famous. You want to make it more famous or lessen its fame?” Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj questioned.
“There is no need to change the name of Puri,” he asserted.
Pradhan had said that he would speak with the Central government in this regard.
Over the last few days, some organisations have been demanding to rename Puri as Jagannath Puri. This was also discussed at the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee’s meeting held recently.