Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town will remain out of bounds for devotees for five hours on Wednesday for the Chitalagi ritual of sibling deities on the occasion of Shravan Krishna Amavasya.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, public darshan will be suspended from 2 PM to 7 PM, after completion of the first Bhogamandap Bhog.
Chitalagi ritual
On the sacred new moon day of the Shravana month, known as Chitalagi Amavasya or Chitau Amavasya, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are re-adorned with their gemstone-studded golden forehead ornaments, known as Chitas. As one of the prominent sub-festivals among the more than fifty rituals and thirteen major yatras celebrated at the 12th-century shrine, Chitalagi Amavasya signifies divine renewal, protection, and auspiciousness for the deities and their devotees.
The special ritual involves re-establishing the holy Chitas on the foreheads of the idols. Each deity is embellished with a specific precious jewel: Lord Jagannath receives the Hira Chita featuring a rare diamond known as Brahmajyoti, Lord Balabhadra is adorned with the Neela Chita containing a brilliant blue sapphire, and Devi Subhadra is decorated with the Manikya Chita containing a natural ruby.
These magnificent golden ornaments had been ceremonially removed from the deities’ foreheads on the night of Snana Purnima prior to the grand Rath Yatra.
For the re-adornment, the Chitas are retrieved from the temple treasury (Bhandara) and handed over in the presence of key administrative and scribal officials, including the Deulakarana and Tadhau Karana. Servitors known as the Bania Sevakas meticulous clean and polish the gold and jewels using traditional methods before they are applied. To securely fasten the ornaments onto the holy foreheads (Srimukha), temple servitors apply a special natural resin mixture called Oshua alongside silken cords (Pata Dora) provided by traditional artisans.
Since the Chitalagi procedure is confidential, devotees are barred from entering the inner sanctum during this time.
Following the completion of the secret ritual, a grand purification bath (Mahasnana) and special offerings take place.
Chitau Pitha
Beyond the sacred confines of the Jagannath Temple, Chitalagi Amavasya resonates deeply across the cultural and agricultural landscape of Odisha. Households statewide prepare Chitau Pitha, a traditional rice-and-coconut pancake offered to the deities as a special Bhoga and shared among families.
In rural communities, the day is celebrated as an agricultural thanksgiving festival where farmers offer prayers and delicacies in paddy fields to appease nature and pray for a bountiful harvest during the monsoon season.