Bhubaneswar: A day after the West Bengal government agreed to drop the word "dham" from the Jagannath temple at Digha, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) announced on Wednesday that it has secured wordmarks for two key terms associated with the Jagannath Temple in Puri, along with a logomark for its official logo, from the Indian trade marks registry.
Trademark Registration Details
The chief administrator of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Arvind Kumar Padhee, confirmed that wordmarks have been granted for 'Ananda Bajara' and 'Patitapabana'. Additionally, the official SJTA logo, known as 'Nilachakara', has also received approval. These registrations are part of a broader effort to protect the temple's unique spiritual, cultural, and institutional identity.
Protecting the Shrine's Heritage
Padhee explained that the SJTA had applied for wordmarks and logomarks for 29 words and logos integral to the 12th-century shrine—the Mula Pitha or origin of the Trinity—before the registry. The two words and the logo are now registered in the trademark registry of Intellectual Property (IP) India.
Under the Trade Marks Act of 1999, reusing a wordmark is legally prohibited if it is identical or deceptively similar to an existing registered mark, or if it causes confusion or deception among the public for similar goods and services. Similarly, Indian Intellectual Property law strictly prohibits reusing or copying a registered logomark without permission. These prohibitions are administered by the office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.
Pending Applications
Padhee noted that the remaining 26 applications are currently in advanced stages of examination and consideration. "We are hopeful of a positive outcome as all evidence about the words and identifiers has been submitted with applications," he said. He added that these registrations represent an important step towards safeguarding the heritage, authenticity, and intellectual property associated with Lord Jagannath and the sacred traditions of the temple.
Background
The decision to seek legal protection for all words associated with the shrine was approved last year by the temple managing committee, following West Bengal's move to name the Digha Jagannath temple as 'Jagannath Dham'. The recent trademark registrations are a direct response to that controversy.
