Puri: Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town will remain closed for devotees for five hours for Banakalagi ritual of the sibling deities on Wednesday.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), darshan inside the temple will be closed from 5 pm to 10 pm for the special ritual, which will be conducted after the end of the Bhoga Mandap ritual.
Wednesday marks Margashira Krishna Dwadasa Tithi, a special occasion for the Banakalagi Niti, during which fresh colours are applied to the idols.
The ritual is traditionally performed by the Dutta Mohapatra servitors and the Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors.
During the secret ritual of Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara, fresh colours are applied to the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabahadra and Devi Subhadra inside the sanctum sanctorum. Dutta Mohapatra and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors perform this ritual.
Banakalagi is performed with natural colours prepared from herbs and other materials including ‘kasturi’, ‘harital’, ‘karpura’, ‘kesar’, ‘kalasankha’ and ‘dhalasankha’.
Devotees can resume darshan after 10 pm once the ritual is complete. The ritual is performed several times in a year.