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States » EastPosted at: May 14 2025 9:06PM


Digha Jagannath Dham controversy takes a serious turn

Puri, May 14 (UNI) The controversy surrounding the Digha Jagannath Dham has intensified following recent revelations by Premananda Das, Director of Communications at ISKCON.
In an interview with the media in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Premananda stated that Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, the Secretary of the Daita Nijog of the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri—currently suspended by the temple administration for one month—is a member of the Digha Jagannath Dham Trust.
Premananda clarified that ISKCON has no involvement in naming the Digha temple as "Jagannath Dham." He emphasized that ISKCON has only been entrusted with performing religious services at the temple, and that one of its devotees was included as a member of the trust.
His remarks were in response to a letter from Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb to ISKCON, urging a change in the temple's name. The letter stated that titles such as Sri Jagannath Dham, Purushottam Dham, Nilachal Dham, and Srikshetra are traditionally associated only with Puri—the sacred abode of Mahaprabhu Jagannath.
Premananda further explained that the temple was constructed by the West Bengal government, which was solely responsible for naming it. ISKCON had no role in the naming process.
Many devotees now believe that Ramakrushna, also known as Rajesh—a senior servitor of the Puri temple—has been acting in concert with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a manner that goes against the interests of the Puri temple.
With new facts emerging, Ramakrushna finds himself in a difficult position, both legally and morally, according to a local devotee.
Previously, the temple administration had suspended Ramakrushna from performing religious duties and barred him from entering the temple, citing that his involvement with the Digha Jagannath temple had tarnished the image of Mahaprabhu Jagannath and Sri Kshetra.
He was also instructed not to intimidate fellow servitors or disrupt religious services. The order warned that any violation of these directives would result in the withholding or forfeiture of his dues and arrears.
While the Puri temple administration has yet to officially respond to Premananda Das's statement, senior servitors anticipate that stricter action may soon be taken against Ramakrushna in light of these developments, which are seen as detrimental to the sanctity of Puri Jagannath Dham.
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