Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed for public darshan for five hours tomorrow due to the Banakalagi Niti, the ritual of painting the deities’ idols.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra will be suspended from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, following the Second Bhog Mandap offering on Wednesday.
The ritual is being observed on the occasion of Magha Krushna Chaturthi Tithi, as announced on the SJTA’s official social media handle on X.
During the Banakalagi Niti, special natural materials such as kasturi, harital, karpura, kesar, kalasankha, and dhalasankha are used to prepare the paints for the idols. The temple’s garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) will remain closed, and only designated servitors, led by Dattamahapatra, will perform the sacred rituals inside.
The SJTA has requested devotees to plan their visit accordingly and avoid crowding at the temple during the closure hours.
