Puri: Dhanu Sankranti marks the transit of the Sun to Sagittarius or Dhanu Rashi. This will continue for a month (from today to the day before Makar Sankranti). The day of this eclipse is called Dhanu Sankranti.
From this day onwards, Goddes Mahalakshmi leaves for her parent’s home for a month. Maa Laxmi visits her parents’ house for a month from this day. For this reason, food cooked by Lord Jagannath’s mother (Yoshada) is offered early in the morning. This prasad is known as Pahili Bhog which along with Ballabh Bhog is offered to the Lord during this month.
Every day, Dwar Phita, Aalati and Abakash niti are performed. Then the deities are dressed as per the days. After consecration of the inner and outer temple, cakes prepared from black gram and wheat and cooked in ghee are offered to the deities as ‘Pahili Bhog’. Then the deities are worshipped through certain rituals known as ‘Pancha Upachar Bidhi’.
In this month, after the ‘Mangal Aalati’ of the Lords, Pahili Bhog is offered to the Trinity. Apart from this, ‘dhanu muan’ is enjoyed throughout this month.
According to the panchang, the auspicious time for Dhanu Sankranti, known as Punya Kala, is between 3:43 PM to 5:27 PM, with Maha Punya Kala falling between 3:43 PM to 5:26 PM.
During this period, people abstain from auspicious activities such as marriages, thread ceremonies, engagements, and house-warming ceremonies. Instead, they engage in kirtans and embark on pilgrimages, observing this period for a month until Makar Sankranti.
Dhanu Muan is a delightful sweet made from puffed rice, ghee, cashew nuts, coconut slices, cardamom, cinnamon, and sugar, resembling nutri-grain bars in texture.
Devotees flock to the Jagannath Temple in Puri to partake in ‘Pahili Bhog,’ an offering to the sibling deities during Dhanu Sankranti. This tradition continues for a month until Makar Sankranti.
According to temple customs, Mahalakshmi, the consort of Lord Jagannath, visits her father’s house during this month, and the ‘bhog’ is prepared by the deities’ mother, featuring delicious cakes made of cheese, grams, and other sweetmeats.
In Odisha, the month of Pousha is associated with abundance, marked by the culmination of a successful harvest. A festival is organized to celebrate the hard work put into the crops, featuring a special delicacy called Dhanu Muan (Crunchy puffed rice and coconut dipped in sugar coat), made of sweetened rice flakes, offered to Lord Jagannath.
The world-renowned Dhanu Jatra takes place during this period in Bargarh. Over 11 days, Bargarh town transforms into the Mathura of the Dwapar Yug. This grand open-air theatre showcases various episodes from Lord Krishna’s life, including his visit to Mathura during the ‘Bow ceremony’ organized by Kansa. Dhanu Yatra celebrates the victory of good over evil, with the river Jeera symbolizing the Yamuna, and the village Ambapali transforming into Gopapur, where Krishna was raised.
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