The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will be closed to the public for five hours on Wednesday for the Banakalagi Niti, the ritual of painting the deities’ idols.
Public darshan of Lord Jagannath and his divine siblings will be unavailable from 5 PM to 10 PM on Wednesday. This closure coincides with the observance of Margashirsha Krushna Dwadashi, as declared by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on ‘X’.
The temple will suspend darshan following the ‘Dwitiya Bhogamandap’ ritual, the SJTA said.
— Shree Jagannatha Temple Office, Puri (@SJTA_Puri) November 26, 2024
The Banakalagi Niti involves the use of special substances like ‘kasturi’, ‘harital’, ‘karpura’, ‘kesar’, ‘kalasankha’, and ‘dhalasankha’ to prepare the natural paints.
During this time, ‘garbhagruha’ the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, will be closed, with only the appointed servitors, headed by Dattamahapatra, permitted to enter and conduct the ritual.
