The Odisha Cooperative Tassar and Silk Federation (SERIFED) dispatched 380 kilograms of Basunga Pata to the Shrimandir administration in Puri today.
Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Pradeep Bal Samant flagged off the consignment after performing rituals at the SERIFED office in Shaheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
Basunga Pat, a sacred mulberry silk rope, is used exclusively in the service of Lord Jagannath and his siblings during Rath Yatra and other temple festivals. It is employed in preparing Vijaya Doras, Paita, and Rakhi for the deities. Since 1981, SERIFED has supplied Basunga Pat to the Shrimandir administration every year.
This year’s supply was produced by tribal silk farmers in Mohana and R. Udayagiri blocks of Gajapati district. The silk cocoons were dyed using extracts from Kaitha fruit collected in Koraput district. SERIFED processed the cocoons at the Silk Production and Technical Upgradation Centre in Nuapatna, Cuttack, before dispatching them to Puri.
Officials emphasised that Basunga Pat is prepared solely for temple rituals and has no commercial use. The rope symbolises purity and strength, forming an integral part of Jagannath tradition.
The ceremony witnessed the participation of Handlooms and Handicrafts Commissioner Guha Punam Tapas Kumar, Additional Director (Silk) Surya Narayan Pattnayak, SERIFED Chairman Bhagirathi Nanda, and Secretary Sangeeta Minj.
