Odisha to go for trademark shield for Jagannath temple amid row with Bengal
The BJP-led Odisha government has decided to secure trademark rights for certain words and logos associated with the iconic Jagannath Mandir in Puri amid a running feud with Bengal after it named a newly built temple 'Jagannath dham'.While the final list of words is being finalised, an official said the terms like Shree Jagannath Dham (place), Srimandir (temple), mahaprasad (bhog), nilachal (Puri also known as Nilachal) dham, bada danda (the main route to the temple) would be patented, PTI reported.The emotions I felt during the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple in Digha are beyond words.This sacred space belongs to our Ma, Mati, Manush, and has been brought to life through the collective efforts of the HIDCO team, local residents, artists, industrialists, and devotees pic.twitter.com/Sz3KgSCJWa— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 30, 2025advertisementThe decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) that was chaired by Dibyasingha Deb, the maharaja of Puri, and was attended by the 12th-century shrine's chief administrator, district collector and top police officers.
Confirming the development, SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said the trademark decision was taken to protect the cultural, religious and spiritual identity of the Puri temple."This will help prevent misuse of the 12th century temple's original spiritual identity and unauthorised use of its sacred terminology," PTI quoted Padhee as saying.WHAT IS THE ROW?At the centre of the row is the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government's move to name the newly built temple in Digha as 'Jagannath dham'.The Mohan Majhi-led Odisha government has argued that 'Jagannath dham' could only be used to refer to the Puri temple - one of India's four sacred 'dhams' - exclusively.advertisementThe issue was also brought up by the Puri maharaja during the temple committee meeting."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," PTI quoted Dibyasingha Deb as saying.There was also speculation that surplus sacred neem wood from the Nabakalebara ceremony at the Puri temple was used to create idols for West Bengal's Jagannath temple. However, both states have rejected such rumours.MOHAN MAJHI'S LETTER TO MAMATA BANERJEEThe Odisha Chief Minister also wrote to his Bengal counterpart earlier this month, urging the government to reconsider using the term 'Jagannath Dham' for the Digha temple.In his letter, Majhi said using the term for any other temple or location other than the one in Puri hurts the sentiments of millions of devotees - a majority of whom are from Bengal.In fact, Bengal accounts for a substantial portion of the tourist footfall to Puri. According to the latest government data, in 2023, of the 97.25 lakh domestic tourists who visited Puri, the largest number, 13.59 lakh, or 14%, were from Bengal.Majhi, the first BJP Chief Minister of Odisha, also made it clear in his latest interview with TOI that Puri was the abode of Lord Jagannath and was the only Jagannath Dham."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 told TOI.Trending Reel
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