Puri: ‘Pahili Bhoga’ (first offering) ritual began at Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Tuesday morning on the auspicious occasion of Dhanu Sankranti, the first day of lunar Pousha month.
It is on this day that the Sun transition into Sagittarius.
According to sources, the temple doors were opened at 2 am as part of Dwara Phita (opening doors) ritual. The sibling deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra – were offered ‘Pahili Bhoga’ between 5.30 am to 6 am, featuring items like pithas, khechudi with ghee, and Dhanu Muan (a sweet made from puffed rice, jaggery, and ghee).
This ritual symbolises maternal devotion and draws thousands of devotees to partake in the prasad. This is a month-long offering, which will continue until the day before Makar Sankranti.
On January 3, Debabhisheka ritual along with ‘Sunabesha’ of the sibling deities will be observed at the temple.
The Pousha Month
In Odisha, Pousha is considered the month of plenty. After gathering crop, a festival is organised to celebrate the hard labour and the good harvest with a special delicacy made of sweetened rice flakes, Dhanu Muan.
Dhanu Jatra
The world famous Dhanu Jatra is also held during this period in Bargarh.
During the 11-day festival, Bargarh town becomes Mathura of the Dwapar Yug. The biggest open-air theatre depicts the various episodes of Lord Krishna’s life. One of the episodes is based on Krishna’s visit to Mathura to witness the ‘Bow ceremony’ organised by Kansa. He invites Krishna and Balaram on the occasion of Dhanu Yatra with the evil intention of killing them.
This annual festival showcases scenes right from Lord Krishna’s birth to the death of the demon king.