Puri: In view of ‘Banakalagi’ rituals of the deities at Jagannath Temple in Puri, the general ‘darshan’ will be restricted for five hours Wednesday, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) informed.
the servitors are set to perform Banakalagi, a secret ritual of the Holy Trinity, from 5pm to 10pm following the completion of ‘Madhyahna Dhupa’ (Midday Bhoga) rituals. All four entrance gates of the 12th-century shrine will remain closed for the devotees during those five hours.
The darshan of Lord Jagannath and his siblings will be restricted from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Wednesday. The ritual will take place on the occasion of Margashirsha Krushna Dwadashi, as announced by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on ‘X’.
— Shree Jagannatha Temple Office, Puri (@SJTA_Puri) November 26, 2024
Darshan will be closed after the completion of the ‘Dwitiya Bhogamandap’ ritual, the SJTA said.
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As per the SJTA website, the term ‘Banakalagi’ denotes painting of images. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum (garbhagruha) will remain closed and only the designated servitors, led by Dattamahapatra, will be allowed inside to perform the ritual. Three Datta Mahapatra servitors after grinding the Banaka (paste) made up of special materials such as special ‘kasturi’, ‘harital’, ‘karpura’, ‘kesar’, ‘kalasankha’, ‘dhalasankha’ climb up the Holy throne and perform the Banaklagi ritual. After the ritual is over, the Datta Mahapatras get down from the throne.
PNN