Bhubaneswar: Sand artiste Sudarsan Pattnaik on Tuesday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the row over the West Bengal government calling a recently inaugurated Jagannath temple in the coastal town of Digha as ‘Jagannath Dham’. The Padma Shri awardee, who is also a former member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), asserted that Puri’s Jagannath temple is the “original dham”.

He said the West Bengal government calling the Digha temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’ was not acceptable to millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath. “It has come to public attention, through an announcement by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, that the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha is being referred to as ‘Jagannath Dham’. While the construction of a new temple dedicated to Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath is truly commendable and appreciated, the reference to it as ‘Jagannath Dham’ has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of His devotees around the world,” Pattnaik said in the letter to the Prime Miniater.

As per sacred scriptures (shastras), there is only one recognised Jagannath Dham, which is in Puri, he said, adding that using this revered title for any other location may cause religious confusion and runs contrary to the long-standing spiritual traditions and cultural heritage of Hinduism.

“With deep respect and reverence, your unwavering devotion to Mahaprabhu Jagannath and your sincere efforts in preserving the rich Jagannath culture are widely acknowledged. I humbly request your kind attention to this matter and respectfully urge you to consider taking appropriate action,” Pattnaik said in the letter to Modi.

Pattnaik had earlier written letters to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb seeking their intervention in the matter. Replying to journalists’ queries on ‘Boycott Puri’ campaign on social media following the row, Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is also in charge of the Tourism department, said they (campaigners) have, in fact, brought Puri into focus.

“Such campaigns will not affect Puri’s tourism, rather will add to its potential. As such, Puri is already highlighted among the tourists across the globe. We have blessings of Lord Jagannath and this campaign cannot harm us,” Parida said.

On West Bengal government’s portrayal of the Digha temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’, Parida said, “The attempt to tarnish the image of Shree Jagannath culture and tradition by Mamata Banerjee is unbecoming of her stature.”

Parida said the Odisha government, Gajapati Maharaja and Muktimandapa Pandit Sabha (the apex religious body of Puri) have already rejected the West Bengal government’s portrayal of the Digha temple as ‘Jagannath Dham’.