Puri: Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town will remain closed for devotees for four hours for Banakalagi ritual of the sibling deities on Wednesday.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), darshan inside the temple will be suspended from 6 pm to 10 pm for the special ritual, which will be conducted after the end of the second Bhoga Mandap ritual. “On Wednesday, the 20th May 2026, Jyeshtha Krushna Chaturthi Tithi, the Banakalagi Niti of the Holy Deities will be performed. Therefore, after the completion of the Second Bhog Mandap offering, public darshan will remain temporarily suspended from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM,” the post on X read.
The ritual is traditionally performed by the Dutta Mohapatra servitors and the Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors.
During the secret ritual of Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara, fresh colours are applied to the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabahadra and Devi Subhadra inside the sanctum sanctorum. Banakalagi is performed with natural colours prepared from herbs and other materials including ‘kasturi’, ‘harital’, ‘karpura’, ‘kesar’, ‘kalasankha’ and ‘dhalasankha’.
Devotees can resume darshan after 10 pm once the ritual is complete. The ritual is performed several times in a year.
