Bhubaneswar: The Jagannath temple in Puri will remain closed for five hours on Thursday for the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
As a result, devotees will be barred from the darshan of the sibling deities from 5 pm to 10 pm tomorrow. This has been notified by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
According to Jagannath temple guidelines, the Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara of Lord Jagannath is performed on Wednesday or Thursday.
As part of the ritual, fresh colours are applied to the idols of the sibling deities. Natural colours like Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and the glue of Kaintha are used to prepare a Banaka.
Going by the tradition, the Dutta Mohapatra servitors and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors perform the rituals. The garbhagruha or sanctum sanctorum of the temple remains closed and no outsiders are allowed inside during this ritual.
