The Odisha government, under Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, has initiated steps to obtain trademark rights over terms closely tied to the heritage and spiritual identity of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. This move comes amidst a growing dispute with the West Bengal government after it named a temple in Digha as 'Jagannath Dham'. The effort is seen as a measure to protect the sanctity of the temple and ensure that specific religious terms are not used elsewhere inappropriately.
The proposal to secure trademark rights was finalised during a recent meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), chaired by the Puri Maharaja, Dibyasingha Deb. Attendees included the temple¡¯s chief administrator, the district collector, and senior police officials.
While the full list is yet to be finalised, officials have confirmed that words like Shree Jagannath Dham, Srimandir, Mahaprasad, Nilachal Dham, and Bada Danda are among the terms identified for legal protection.
Arabinda Padhee, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), stated, ¡°This will help prevent misuse of the 12th-century temple¡¯s original spiritual identity and unauthorised use of its sacred terminology.¡±
The conflict intensified after the West Bengal government, led by Mamata Banerjee, chose to name a new temple in Digha as ¡®Jagannath Dham¡¯. Odisha authorities maintain that this term refers exclusively to the Puri temple, one of Hinduism¡¯s four sacred dhams.
The issue was also raised by the Puri Maharaja during the temple committee meeting. He expressed concern that the use of the name by West Bengal violated long-standing religious practices. ¡°The West Bengal government cannot use the term ¡®Jagannath Dham¡¯ for their temple at Digha. This is against Hindu scriptures and the age-old tradition of Lord Jagannath,¡± he said.
Rumours had surfaced claiming that excess sacred neem wood from the Puri temple¡¯s Nabakalebara ceremony was used to create idols for the Digha temple. Both Odisha and West Bengal have denied such speculation.
Earlier this month, Odisha CM Mohan Majhi wrote to Mamata Banerjee requesting that the West Bengal government reconsider using the term for the Digha temple.
In his letter, Majhi noted that the term holds deep religious value and using it for a different location could hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees. He also highlighted that Bengal contributes significantly to tourism in Puri. In 2023 alone, out of 97.25 lakh domestic tourists, over 13.59 lakh were from West Bengal.
Speaking to The Times of India, Majhi reiterated that Puri¡¯s religious position cannot be duplicated. ¡°It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one, including any political leader, can replicate or shift that faith,¡± he said.
Odisha moves to trademark Puri temple terms to preserve sanctity amid growing dispute over naming rights with West Bengal.