Puri: Three new Ratna Palankas (ornate palanquins) were introduced for sibling deities of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town on Tuesday, coinciding with Maha Bishuba Sankranti, a day symbolising cosmic balance, renewal, and fresh beginnings.
According to sources, rituals for the consecration of silver-coated Ratna Palanka were performed after Sakala Dhupa, when the morning cooked food is offered to Lord Jagannath and his siblings – Balabhadra and Subhadra – near the Ratna Sighasana.
Following Bada Singhara Besa, the deities will now rest in these newly-consecrated Ratn
a Palankas, which are used for Khata Seja Lagi (sleeping) ceremony, a symbolic ritual that occurs around 11:45 pm reflecting the anthropomorphic tradition of treating the Lords as living beings.
The temple authorities emphasised that this change represents a harmonious balance between preserving cherished traditions and embracing renewal — a perfect reflection of the profound spiritual essence of the Odia New Year.
Notably, the old Ratna Palankas are not discarded. Those are carefully preserved and shifted to Niladri Museum within the temple premises. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will finalise their placement after meeting of the shrine management committee, ensuring that devotees can continue to witness and connect with these ritual objects, having historic and religious importance, the sources added.
On Maha Bishuba Sankranti, special rituals are also observed at 12th-century shrine and the newly-prepared almanac is read before the sibling deities.