Bhubaneswar, May 6: Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, voicing deep concern over the Digha Jagannath Temple in West Bengal being referred to as ‘Jagannath Dham’.

In his letter, Pattnaik praised the construction of the new temple but emphasized that the title ‘Jagannath Dham’ is traditionally reserved for the sacred shrine in Puri, Odisha, as per Hindu scriptures. He stated that the use of this revered term elsewhere has hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees and could lead to religious confusion.

Pattnaik wrote, “While the construction of a new temple dedicated to Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath is truly commendable, referring to it as 'Jagannath Dham' deeply hurts the religious sentiments of countless devotees. Our scriptures recognize only one Jagannath Dham — in Puri.”

Acknowledging the Prime Minister’s devotion to Lord Jagannath, Pattnaik respectfully appealed for his intervention to preserve the spiritual and cultural heritage associated with Puri’s temple.

The controversy over the Digha temple’s naming has drawn widespread criticism in Odisha, with many urging the West Bengal government to reconsider and honor the sanctity of the original Jagannath Dham.

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