Puri: The Puri Jagannath Temple will be closed for darshan for three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday on account of the Banakalagi Niti of Lord Jagannath and his deity siblings.
Informing this on its X handle, the Odisha I&PR department wrote, “Today, 15.6.2024, Wednesday, Jestha Krishna Chaturdashi Tithi, Banakalagi Niti of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be held. Therefore, after the conclusion of the Dwitiya Bhogamandap’, darshan will be closed from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm.”
The Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara is a secret ritual wherein a fresh coat of colours is applied to the idols of the Holy Trinity.
As per tradition, the Dutta Mohapatra Sevakas (servitors) and Khadiprasad Daetapati servitors perform the rituals. Different types of natural colours like Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and the glue of Kaintha are used to prepare a Banaka.
