Odisha to secure trademark on Jagannath dham amid row with Bengal over temple name

The Odisha government has decided to seek trademark protection for sacred terms linked to the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri amid an ongoing dispute with West Bengal. This move comes after the Mamata Banerjee-led government in Bengal named a newly constructed temple in Digha as ‘Jagannath dham’, a name Odisha claims is reserved solely for Puri, one of Hinduism’s four sacred dhams.

A list of terms including Shree Jagannath Dham, Srimandir, Mahaprasad, Nilachal Dham, and Bada Danda is being finalised for trademarking. Odisha officials say the step is meant to prevent the misuse or dilution of the temple's religious and cultural identity.

The decision was formalised at a meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, where Dibyasingha Deb, the Maharaja of Puri, insisted that only the original temple in Puri has the right to the term ‘Jagannath Dham’. He argued that using it for other temples goes against centuries-old traditions and religious texts.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi also wrote to Mamata Banerjee, urging her to reconsider the naming of the Digha temple. In his letter, he pointed out that a large section of Jagannath devotees come from Bengal, and misusing the term could deeply hurt their religious sentiments.

Interestingly, both states dismissed rumours that leftover sacred neem wood from Puri's Nabakalebara ceremony was used for the idols in Digha. However, Odisha’s stance remains clear: Puri is the one and only Jagannath Dham, and that identity must be legally protected.