The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed for public darshan from 6 pm to 10 pm today due to the sacred Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the ritual will be observed on the occasion of Jyeshtha Krishna Chaturthi after completion of the second Bhoga Mandap offering.
The Banakalagi ritual, also known as Shreemukha Shringara, is one of the important traditional rituals of the temple where the faces of the sibling deities are ceremonially adorned using natural colours and sacred materials.
As part of the ritual, the deities first undergo Mahasnana (ceremonial bathing) followed by the application of traditional decorative elements.
The ritual is performed by the Dutta Mohapatra servitors following centuries-old temple traditions.
During Banakalagi, servitors use naturally prepared ingredients and colours for decorating the deities. These include:
- Conch shell powder for white
- Black colour prepared from diya soot
- Haritala
- Hingula
- Kasturi and other natural substances
These materials are traditionally believed to protect and preserve the sacred bodies of the deities.
The ritual inside the sanctum sanctorum is conducted in complete privacy, and outsiders are not permitted during the process.
SJTA stated that general darshan for devotees will remain suspended for nearly four hours. However, devotees visiting the temple premises during this period will still be allowed to offer prayers to other deities inside the temple complex.
Regular darshan of Lord Jagannath and His siblings is expected to resume after completion of the ritual at around 10 pm.
