Can a Temple Own a Name? Jagannath Temple Says Yes

Puri Jagannath Temple Secures IP Protection for ‘Sacred’ Words: A Move in the Right Direction for Heritage, Culture, and Business

Meta description: In an unprecedented move, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) of the 12th-century Puri shrine has registered trademarks for sacred keywords and a logomark for its official logo, thus laying down a mechanism for preservation of cultural identity and ethical business.

For the first time in Indian history, a shrine management has registered trademarks for keywords and a logomark associated with its name. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has filed for trademark registrations of keywords associated with the 12th-century Puri Jagannath Temple and also of its official logo. While the temple administration is taking steps for legal protection of intangible heritage, which at once has a spiritual significance as well as exposure in the contemporary commercial world, it can help in safeguarding sanctity and opening up avenues for economically viable business activities.

The initial reason was purely utilitarian: the rising trend of selling souvenirs, apparel, and listing items online with the use of sacred terms and symbols began to raise issues regarding the overlap between their devotional application and their commercial use. The grievances of the clergy, artists, and devout followers, coupled with the bureaucratic problem of controlling these misuses in the regional and virtual marketplace, were key factors in making this decision. The recent issue over the use of the term “Dham” for the Digha project in West Bengal, whereby the political support for the creation of a new Jagannath temple sparked an issue with Odisha over the historicity and sanctity of the term “Dham”, only added fuel to the fire.

SJTA’s filings are targeted and pragmatic. The administration has secured wordmarks for ‘Patitapabana’ (saviour of the fallen) and ‘Ananda Bazaar’ (the precinct where devotees partake Mahaprasad), and obtained registration for the ‘Neelachakra’ logomark—the eight?spoked disc that crowns the main spire and now serves as the SJTA’s official logo. Beyond these approvals, SJTA has filed applications for protection of 26 additional items—terms like ‘Srimandir’, ‘Jagannath Dham’, ‘Purusottam Kshetra’, ‘Shreekshetra’, ‘Bada Danda’, and ‘Mahaprasad’, plus designs and other identifiers—aiming to prevent regional misrepresentation and preserve authenticity. These protections take the form of trademarks and certification marks: wordmarks protect text irrespective of font, logomarks protect the visual symbol, and certification marks enable the Temple to endorse authentic, temple?approved goods produced by registered artisans.

Under law, these tools provide SJTA legal grounds to contest unauthorised commercialisation within specified categories of usage, including garments, souvenirs, print materials, digital reproductions and travel services. In practical terms, this establishes a mechanism through which legitimate commerce is encouraged: certified artisans and traders may apply their authentic brand label, thereby commanding premium prices, and guaranteeing their consumers have made purchases of respectably licensed products. It also allows the preservation of the distinction between academic and devotional use and unauthorised commercialisation.

To make the process operational and achieve the intended goal, governance and oversight must occur. SJTA has published its identification criteria for pending applications and consulted legal experts and local stakeholders to inform its policy. Enforcement can only be done through monitoring the market for infringement, taking down offending content via the internet, where applicable, as well as employing effective dispute resolution mechanisms. This is not about punishing infringers, but resolving disputes constructively. Licensing fees can then provide much-needed funds for temple maintenance and restorations, as well as for the benefit of the artisans.

Similar instances demonstrate what cultural IP looks like in practice. In 2009, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams registered a Geographical Indication for Tirupati Laddu, utilising trademark protection in stopping unauthorized distributors of the product. In a similar fashion, Palani’s Panchamirtham obtained a GI tag in 2019, making sure that the name is associated with the authorised temple production. Beyond borders, indigenous people in New Zealand have been combining their cultural protocols and trademark mechanisms to preserve taonga and cultural expressions through the use of IP. Examples above clearly suggest that intellectual property can be used not just to guard but also as a guardianship tool if used wisely.

SJTA initiative also sends some messages to corporations and policymakers about concrete action items. It would make sense for companies and marketplace players to extend due diligence processes and start engaging with custodians from the outset. Legal departments will have to amend clearance procedures with regard to certification regimes in the cultural sector. To help transition towards such changes, policymakers need to clarify certain points on sacred terminology, certification marks, and revenue governance practices.

The Puri Temple’s step is both protective and generative: it shields centuries of ritual meaning from casual commercialisation while opening verified channels for communities to benefit. The punchline for institutional leaders and commercial partners is that protecting sacred words need not constrict access—it can create trusted markets, fund preservation, and ensure traditions endure with dignity.