Puri Srimandir will remain closed to devotees for five hours today to conduct the sacred Banakalagi ritual.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the temple will be closed from 5 PM to 10 PM after the second Bhoga Mandap ritual.
Banakalagi, also known as Shrimukha Sringara, involves applying fresh herbal colours to the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra inside the sanctum sanctorum. This secret ritual is performed by servitors of the Dutta Mohapatra and Khadiprasad Daitapati groups using ingredients like kasturi, harital, karpura, kesar, kalasankha, and dhalasankha. The ritual is held multiple times a year to maintain the idols’ appearance.
