"No other place can be called Jagannath Dham": BJP MP Sambit Patra on Digha Jagannath temple controversy

New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra on Saturday objected to the West Bengal government naming a newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham." He argued that it is impossible to call any other place Jagannath Dham because there is only one in the world, located in Puri, Odisha.
In a press address, MP Patra said, "I strongly object to one thing. There is only one Jagannath Dham in the world, and it is not possible to call any other place Jagannath Dham because there is no other place. There are four Dhams in India, and among them, one is a very important Dham- Jagannath Dham, Puri, and there should be no doubt that no other place can be called Jagannath Dham."
"I think that as an MP from Puri and also as a politician from Odisha, I should wait to see what investigation the temple administration does and what is the report of that investigation," he further stated.
Earlier in the day, Odisha Minister Prithviraj Harichandan claimed that the West Bengal government is creating confusion by naming a newly constructed Jagannath temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham." He firmly stated that no temple can ever become a Dham.
Minister Harichandan further informed that an internal investigation is being conducted. He said he has written a letter to the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, to conduct an internal inquiry into the naming of Digha Temple as 'Jagannath Dham', the participation of Puri Temple sevayats in the consecration ceremony, and the use of "Daru Katha" for idol construction.
The Minister believes these actions have offended the sentiments of Lord Jagannath's devotees and the people of Odisha.
On Saturday, BJP MP Pradip Purohit also objected to naming a newly constructed Jagannath temple in West Bengal's Digha as "Jagannath Dham." He said only one Jagannath Dham exists, and CM Mamata Banerjee cannot build another.
Speaking to ANI, Purohit said, "The temple has been named Jagannath Dham. There is a Jagannath Dham in Puri and everywhere else there are temples. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee can't build a Dham. There is only one Jagannath Dham in Puri. We welcome the Jagannath temple built in West Bengal but she can't name it as Jagannath Dham."
Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik requested West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to immediately issue an order not to call the newly inaugurated Jagannath Temple a "Dham." Pattnaik pointed out that this creates confusion among the devotees of Lord Jagannath.
The Rs 250-crore temple in Digha, which spans over 20 acres, was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday. The temple is architecturally inspired by the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and enshrines the same deities. (ANI)