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Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Miffed Odisha to apply for Jagannath patents amid spar with Bengal over deity
The Jagannath temple in the coastal city of Puri is a beacon of spiritual and cultural identity. This 12th-century shrine, dedicated to the revered deity, Jagannath, is not just a religious site but a cornerstone of Odia heritage, drawing millions of pilgrims annually. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Mohan Majhi last week announced that it would seek patents or trademarks for terms intrinsically tied to the temple, including 'Jagannath Dham,' 'Srimandir,' 'Mahaprasad,' and the temple's logo. The announcement came a month after a controversy erupted After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a Jagannath temple in Digha – a coastal town some 350 km from Puri -- and named it Jagannath dham. The controversy further intensified as Banerjee referred the new temple as 'Jagannath Dham', sparking widespread criticism because 'Dham' is a sacred designation traditionally linked to Puri, as per revered Hindu spiritual leader Adi Shankaracharya's designation of four Dhams (Puri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram). Majhi shot off a letter to Banerjee asking her to desist from naming the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham. Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati publicly denounced the decision, alleging that it exploits the diety's name for commercial gain. Puri's king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb said the nomenclature used for the Digha temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees. 'Terms like Nilachal Dham, Shreekhetra, Srimandir, and Jagannath Dham have always been exclusively associated with the sacred temple in Puri,' he said. The controversy also deepened over a senior servitor of the temple claiming that surplus neem wood from the 2015 Nabakalebara ceremony at Puri temple was used to create idols for the Digha temple. Though a subsequent probe found the claim untrue, the servitor has been debarred from entering the temple for a month as he attended the consecration process of the Jagannath temple in Digha. Can sacred terms be patented? The Odisha government's move has sparked a debate whether sacred words, steeped in centuries of devotion, can, or should, be patented by a state. The Odisha government's initiative aims to protect the cultural and spiritual identity of the Jagannath temple by trademarking terms that define its rituals and offerings. According to Sri Jagannath Temple Administration chief Arabinda Padhee, patenting these terms is a 'legal measure aimed at preserving the sanctity, heritage, and unique identity of the Jagannath Temple'. The terms in question—such as 'Jagannath Dham' (the sacred abode of Lord Jagannath), 'Srimandir' (the temple itself), and 'Mahaprasad' (the sanctified food offered to the deity)—are deeply embedded in Odia culture. The move is also shaped by electoral politics. The BJP, which came to power in Odisha a year ago, is keen to consolidate its support among the people by championing the cause of religious identity and heritage. The dispute with West Bengal, ruled by the Trinamool Congress, allows the BJP to project itself as a defender of Odia pride and Hindu traditions, potentially strengthening its political base ahead of panchayat elections two years later. But can such terms, tied to religious tradition, be legally protected under intellectual property law? Lawyers say a patent is granted for an invention that has novelty and industrial applicability which means, if a thing or product or process is already existing, patent cannot be granted to it. Patents are for inventions. 'The Trade Marks Act, 1999 prohibits registration of marks that hurt religious sentiments or lack distinctiveness. Courts have historically ruled that religious terms cannot be monopolised unless they acquire a secondary commercial meaning. Odisha may struggle to prove these terms are uniquely tied to commercial goods/services rather than religious practice. Even if trademarks are granted, enforcing them against entities like West Bengal's Digha temple or other religious institutions could lead to protracted litigation,' said Radha Charan Das, a senior lawyer of Orissa High Court. 'For example, terms like Mahaprasad (sacred offering) are used widely across India, complicating claims of exclusivity. If Odisha succeeds, other states might seek trademarks for shared cultural or religious terms risking legal chaos. This could also contravene Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion,' Das said. But other legal experts argue that trademarking such terms is feasible if they are proven to have a distinctive association with the Jagannath Temple. 'Odisha can argue that 'Mahaprasad' is not a generic term for any consecrated food but specifically refers to the offerings prepared under the temple's strict rituals, cooked by the Suar Mahasuar Nijog using traditional methods. Similarly, 'Jagannath Dham' could be trademarked as a unique identifier of Puri's temple, distinct from other Jagannath temples worldwide. However, the courts may hesitate to grant exclusive rights to words with broad spiritual significance as words like 'Mahaprasad' may be deemed too generic or culturally universal,' said Srikanta Das, another lawyer. 'The process of patenting or trademarking requires demonstrating that the terms are not already in widespread use without permission,' he said. Das said that the state government can at best apply GI tag for Mahaprasad like the Tirupati temple administration did for the famous Trirupati Laddoo in 2009, but it's not easy. In Puri, where the Jagannath Temple's spire casts a long shadow over the city, the Odisha government's quest to patent divinity may protect the temple's legacy, but it also raises a question: can the sacred be bound by legalese?
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jagannath temple body to apply for patents on names
Amid the tussle between Odisha and West Bengal over naming of the Jagannath temple in Digha as Jagannath dham, the Jagannath temple management committee of Puri on Monday said it would apply for patent for expressions such as 'Srimandir', 'Jagannath Dham', and 'Mahaprasad'. The temple management committee which met in Puri on Monday said the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration would apply for patents of terms such as 'Srimandir', 'Jagannath Dham', 'Mahaprasad', 'logo of Srimandir', 'Shrikshetra', and 'Purushottam Dham'. It has been approved in a high-level meeting today,' said SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee. 'Patenting these temple-related terms is a legal measure aimed at preserving the sanctity, heritage, and unique identity of the Jagannath Temple. This step is crucial to prevent the indiscriminate use of sacred terminology linked to Lord Jagannath,' said Arabinda Padhee, chief administrator of the temple. Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Jagannath Temple in Digha referring to it as 'Jagannath Dham' sparking widespread criticism, as 'Dham' is a sacred designation traditionally linked to Puri, per Hindu scriptures and Adi Shankaracharya's designation of four Dhams (Puri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram). Also Read | Attempts to encroach Puri Jagannath temple land will not be tolerated: Shrine authorities The Puri Shankaracharya and several others have argued that using 'Dham' for Digha undermines Puri's unique spiritual and cultural significance. The Digha temple allows non-Hindus and foreigners, unlike Puri's Hindu-only tradition, further fuelling objections. BJP leaders Sambit Patra and Suvendu Adhikari accused the West Bengal government of using the temple for political leverage ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. Though Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi this month wrote to Banerjee requesting the removal of the term 'Jagannath Dham' from the Digha temple's official name, the Bengal CM remains unmoved. Puri's king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Monday urged the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the state government to take immediate action against the naming of the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha of West Bengal as 'Jagannath Dham'. 'The nomenclature used for the Digha temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees. Terms like Nilachal Dham, Shreekhetra, Srimandir, and Jagannath Dham have always been exclusively associated with the sacred temple in Puri,' he said. Also Read | Suspension of Odisha Jagannath temple servitor escalates TMC-BJP row in Bengal The inauguration of the temple in Digha has already stirred a controversy after Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, secretary of the Daitapati Nijog, the group of servitors that is responsible for some rituals during the annual Rath Yatra such as carrying the deities to their respective chariots, claimed that leftover wood not used in Nabakalabera was used for idols of Jagannath temple in Digha. Nabakalebar is a sacred ritual of Lord Jagannath, in which the old wooden idols of the four deities including Lord Sudarshan are replaced with new ones made of neem wood called Daru.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Forest dept sends 2nd batch of timber for chariot work
Berhampur: Ghumusar North forest division in Ganjam district despatched the second lot of timber to Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for construction of chariots for the Rath Yatra. The construction of chariots for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra started from Akshya Trutiya on April 36 specially-selected Dharua timber logs, each measuring 20 ft in length and six ft in girth, were sent to Puri on Monday evening after performing the ritual, said Himansu Sekhar Mohanty, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Ghumusar north division on timber was collected from Baibili reserve forest in Muzagarh forest range after being selected by forest officials and approved contractors. These logs would serve as the vital axles of the the routes, several devotees welcomed the sacred logs with folded hands and Jagannath bhajans. Traditional drums and conches resonated through the villages and first lot of the timber was despatched to Puri on May 6. In the first phase, 23 pieces of dharua and asana timbers, each measuring 40 ft in length and 4 to 5 ft in girth were collected from Ghoghada forest under Tarsingi range, he said."Marking and cutting of the trees were conducted with utmost reverence, with each tree geo-tagged using GPS to ensure transparency and sanctity," said the DFO. The dharua trees, revered for their strength and resilience, were sourced after thorough selection across the Bibali and Ghogoda reserve district has been supplying different species of logs for the last four years for construction of chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. Every year, the chariots are made from new wood. The Nayagarh forest division supplied the logs for chariots.
