Sibling Bonding On Gamha Purnima: Rakhi Tying Ritual At Puri Jagannath Temple Today

Puri: Goddess Subhadra will tie four ‘Pata Rakhis’ (special threads) to Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra at Jagannath temple in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri on the auspicious Gamha Purnima, popularly known as Rakhi Purnima, on Thursday.

The ritual will be held after Madhyanha Dhoopa of the sibling deities at the 12th-century shrine, sources said.

“Since all festivals and religious celebrations of Odisha are based on the rituals of Jagannath Temple, every household in Odisha should celebrate Gamha Purnima on Thursday,” Pandit Surya Narayan Rath Sharma, a senior servitor of Jagannath temple, had earlier told the media.

He added that sisters can tie rakhis on brothers anytime on this day.

With Bhadra Kaal falling between 11 am and 9 am on Wednesday during which no auspicious rituals are performed, many priests were of the view that the celebrations can be postponed to Thursday.

At Srimandir, Gamha Purnima is observed as the birthday of Balabhadra, the eldest of the sibling deities. Lord Balabhadra or Balaram was born on Shravanā nakshatra’s ‘Gamha Purnami on Makara Lagna. All the six idols (Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, Bhudebi and Sridebi) on Ratnabedi are bejewelled with gold ornaments on this day. The Lords are also offered ‘Guamala’ (garland of areca nuts).

Along with the 54 areca nuts necklaces, four big rakhis are prepared for Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra and 10 small ones for the Parswa Devatas (minor deities) of the temple. The Basunga Pata is dipped in red, green, purple and yellow colours. With the help of a comb, the cloth is shredded into threads. With the four coloured Patas, the servitors then make four-layered Rakhis. They are in concentric circles one atop another with the lowest disc being the largest.

Goddess Subhadra ties these ‘Pata Rakhis’ prepared by Patara Bisoyi to Her brothers.

The servitors prepare Guamala in yellow and red colour combination for Lord Jagannath and purple and blue colour combination for Lord Balabhadra.

Later, Lord Sudarshan proceeds to Markand Pond in ‘chaudola’ decorated with golden garlands, where Sudha Suara observe some traditions by making the idol of Lord Balabhadra with wet clay. They spew life into the idol by chanting mantras and then offer ‘bhog’. The idol is later immersed in the pond. Following this, Lord Sudarshan proceeds to three Ashrams and returns to Srimandir late in the night.