Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 6 : West Bengal Assembly's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for referring to Digha temple in West Bengal as "Jagannath Dham." Adhikari called it an "insult to Maha Prabhu," and said that the Digha temple is actually a cultural centre.
"This is not a Jagannath temple but a cultural centre, do not spread false info. It (Digha temple) has been built with government money, Rs 250 crore, look at the tender, work orders. It is clear in those that it not a temple but a cultural centre. It is an insult to Maha Prabhu, I am also a devotee of Maha Prabhu and Sanatanis will not tolerate this," Adhikari told ANI on Monday.
Earlier on May 5, CM Banerjee emphasised the importance of respecting all religious institutions, including the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Digha Jagannath Temple.
Speaking to the media, CM Mamata Banerjee stated, "We respect the temple in Puri and we also respect Jagannath Dham. Kaali Temples and Gurdwaras are found throughout the country. Temples exist in all areas. Why is there so much anger on this issue?"
The term "Jagannath Dham," is traditionally reserved for the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha.
The Chief Servitor of the Puri Jagannath Temple had strongly criticised the West Bengal government's decision to label the newly built Jagannath Temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham, " describing it as a "political stunt."
Speaking to ANI, Chief Servitor Daitapati Bhabani Das Mohapatra asserted that, according to sacred texts, there are only four recognised dhams (pilgrimage sites): Rameswaram, Badrinath, Dwarka, and Jagannath Dham, and no other place can be designated as a 'dham.'
Mohapatra said any place outside of chaardham cannot be named as a 'dham', and urged the government to withdraw the use of the term.
"Any place outside of our chaardham cannot be named as a dham. This is a crime by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. We will request them to retract the name' dham'... You called it dham, placed murtis in it, and didn' t consult anyone... I will say they did it out of arrogance. This is a political stunt. They know they will not win in Bengal this time..." he said.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also refuted allegations that "sacred neem wood" from Puri's Jagannath Temple was used in making the idols in Digha's Jagannath Temple, clarifying that the idols there are made of marble.
The Rs 250 crore temple in Digha, constructed over 20 acres, was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30, 2025. The temple, inspired by the 12 th- century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, houses the same deities.