Puri: Public darshan at Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri will remain suspended for four hours on Monday, for the special Khasapada Lagi Niti ritual for Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration announced on Sunday that devotees will not be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum from 6 pm to 10 pm.
Khasapada Niti is scheduled on the occasion of Shravana Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shravan. It will take place after the completion of the second Bhogamandap offering.
During the Khasapada Lagi, which forms part of the temple’s traditional periodic rituals and is typically conducted two to three times a year, the holy feet of the deities are covered with white cloth in a sacred procedure symbolising purity and devotion. The rites are carried out confidentially by traditional servitors inside the Garbha Griha, restricting public viewing for the duration. Darshan will resume after the conclusion of the rituals, and devotees will be able to visit the temple during the night hours.
Temple authorities have urged pilgrims intending to visit the 12th-century to note the timings and extend full cooperation so that the age-old practices can proceed smoothly without disruption.