New signage bearing the name 'Shri Sri Jagannath Cultural Centre' was installed at the Jagannath temple complex in Digha, East Midnapore district, on Wednesday, 11 June 2025, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the official renaming of the facility. The word 'Dham' has been formally removed from the complex's name, ending a controversy that had simmered for years.

The Name Change and What It Means

The main entrance of the Digha Jagannath temple had previously displayed signage reading 'Jagannath Dham'. That board has now been replaced with a flex bearing the revised name 'Shri Sri Jagannath Cultural Centre', installed within the temple premises on Wednesday. Under the revised nomenclature, the complex will be officially identified as 'Digha Jagannath Temple and Cultural Centre', aligning with how it was described in official government documents from the outset.

Background: How the Controversy Began

The Digha Jagannath temple was constructed under the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. While official documents classified the facility as a 'Cultural Centre', the TMC administration had added the word 'Dham' — a term carrying significant religious connotations — to its public identity. This triggered a prolonged controversy over whether the designation was appropriate and accurate.

Notably, Suvendu Adhikari, at the time serving as Leader of the Opposition, had publicly questioned the use of 'Dham' in the temple's name. Following the formation of the new state government, Adhikari — now Chief Minister — moved to align the complex's public name with its official classification.

Odisha CM's Proposal and the Announcement

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari made the formal announcement on Tuesday after accepting a proposal from Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in this regard. The decision reflects a degree of inter-state coordination on the religious and cultural identity of the Jagannath complex, given Odisha's deep association with the deity and the original Jagannath Dham in Puri.

What Officials and Trustees Said

Ramnagar BJP MLA Chandrashekhar Mandal and ISKCON Kolkata President Radharman Das — who is also one of the trustees of the Digha Jagannath temple — were present during the installation programme. MLA Mandal stated: 'We don't want change, we want correction. Our government did not discard the previous government's project. It only corrected it. In that way, since there were various controversies regarding the Digha Jagannath Dham, the name has been changed to Digha Jagannath Temple and Cultural Centre by removing Dham from it.'

What Happens Next

With the new signage now in place, the renaming process appears to have moved swiftly from announcement to implementation within 24 hours. The development is being watched closely in the context of the new BJP-led government's broader effort to distinguish its governance from that of the previous TMC administration. Whether additional administrative steps — such as updating land records, government orders, or tourism board listings — follow remains to be seen.