Patitapabana Bana Flutters Again Atop Jagannath Temple

Puri: The servitors of Jagannath Temple here on Thursday replaced the small flag tied to the Nilachakra (sacred wheel) with a 14 feet long ‘Chunar’.

On May 1, Patitapaban Bana (the holy flag) was replaced with a smaller one (5 ft) in view of the approaching cyclone Fani, which made landfall in Puri on May 3. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had decided to have the smaller flag to protect the sacred wheel and avoid any disruption in the rituals at the temple during the storm and its aftermath.

This morning, a group of servitors climbed atop the 12th century shrine and tied a 14 feet ‘Chunar’ to the sacred wheel.

‘Chunara Seva’ or the act of tying the flag onto the pole attached to the sacred wheel is one among the 36 major rituals of the temple.