Devotees visiting the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, will encounter a temporary restriction on darshan (viewing) of the deities tomorrow, April 21 (Monday).
The temple administration has announced that darshan will be suspended for five hours due to the Paita Lagi ritual, which will take place on the occasion of Vaishakh Krishna Ashtami. After the completion of the second Bhogmandap offering, public darshan will be temporarily halted from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
During the Paita Lagi ceremony, a sacred ritual involves presenting large amounts of rice, dal, various vegetable curries, and assorted cakes to the sibling deities in the Bhoga Mandap Gruha. The servitors will cover the deities with a special silk cloth known as ‘Basunga Patta’, which is treated with sandalwood paste. This ritual is performed by the Daitapati servitors of Srimandir.
Devotees will not be able to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra between 5 PM and 10 PM. The temple administration requests devotees to plan their visits accordingly and resume darshan after the ritual concludes at 10 PM.
Authorities urge devotees to cooperate and respect the sanctity of the Paita Lagi ritual, ensuring a smooth and reverent observance of this traditional ceremony.
