Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will write a letter to West Bengal over naming of a newly-built temple at Digha as ‘Jagannath Dham’.

This was revealed by Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan today.

“Odisha’s Puri town is traditionally known as Jagannath Dham, one among the Char Dham in the country. No other place or shrine can be named as Jagannath Dham. We will write to the West Bengal government on this issue,” said Harichandan.

According to the Law Minister, the Odisha government may take legal recourse on the issue. “I will discuss the issue with the Chief Minister. He will take a decision regarding the next course of action. We may opt for legal recourse in this regard,” he said.

The state government had earlier ordered a probe into the controversies surrounding the newly-built Jagannath temple at Digha in West Bengal.

There were reports that surplus neem wood (sacred Daru) from Nabakalebar rituals at Puri Jagannath temple were used for construction of idols at Digha shrine.

Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, senior Daitapati servitor at Puri Jagannath temple, reportedly told some media channels in West Bengal that surplus neem wood from 2015 Nabakalebar rituals at the 12th century shrine was taken to Digha for construction of idols. However, Dasmahapatra, later, clarified that he had not said so to any media channel.

The Law Minister has asked Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Arabinda Padhee to conduct a probe in this regard.

As per reports, a few servitors of Puri Jagannath temple, including Dasmahapatra, had attended the inauguration of Digha temple recently.