Puri: Preparations for Rakhi Purnima at Jagannath Temple in Puri has begun with Patara Bisoi servitors preparing ‘Pata Rakhis’, which Devi Subhadra ties to Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath.
The Lords are also offered ‘Guamala’ (garland of areca nuts) on the holy occasion of Gamha Purnima, which will fall on August 22 this year.
The preparations, along with that of 54 areca nuts necklaces, begins from Chitalagi Amabasya.
“Ten days prior to the festival, the temple administration provides us with Basunga Pata (cloth). We prepare four Rakhis for Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra and 10 small ones for the Parswa Devatas (minor deities) of the temple. It takes almost 10 days to ready them. We take the Rakhis and Guamalas to the temple once we get a call from the authorities,” informed temple servitor Jagannath Patra.
The Basunga Pata is dipped in red, green, purple and yellow colours. With the help of a comb, the cloth is shredded into threads. With the four coloured Patas, the servitors then make four-layered Rakhis. They are in concentric circles one atop another with the lowest disc being the largest.
The servitors prepare Guamala in yellow and red colour combination for Lord Jagannath and purple and blue colour combination for Lord Balabhadra.
Along with Rakhi Purnima, the birthday of Lord Balabhadra is celebrated at the shrine on this day.
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