Bhubaneswar: The Puri Srimandir will remain closed for four hours on Wednesday for the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. As a result, devotees will be barred from the darshan of the deities from 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm tomorrow.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), devotees can, however, have darshan of the Holy Trinity after 10.00 pm.
The Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara of Lord Jagannath is held on the 7th day of Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month Shravan. During this ritual, fresh colours are applied to the idols of the deities. Natural colours like Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and the glue of Kaintha are used to prepare a Banaka.
As per tradition, the Dutta Mohapatra servitors and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors perform the rituals.
