Bhubaneswar: Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a beautiful 7-foot sand sculpture at Puri Beach showcasing Lord Jagannath offering Rasagola to Goddess Lakshmi on the occasion of Rasagola Dibasa.
The special day is being celebrated in Puri today coinciding with Niladri Bije, the concluding ritual of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra.
Taking to his X handle, Pattnaik wrote: “Jai Jagannath. On the sacred occasion of NiladriBije, Mahaprabhu Jagannath, while returning to the Ratna Singhasana, offers Rasagola to Maha Lakshmi, symbolising love, reconciliation, and a cherished tradition. My sand art at Puri Beach, Odisha, conveys the message Happy Rasagola Dibasa in celebration of this unique ritual.”
The sand sculpture has attracted a large number of devotees and tourists who are thronging Puri Beach to witness the artwork.
It is pertinent to mention that on this final day of Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath returns home to Puri with Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. But the doors of the temple won’t open easily. Waiting inside is Goddess Lakshmi, hurt, angry, and refusing to let her husband in. Her grievance is as human as it gets. While the Lord of the Universe set out on his nine-day sojourn to Gundicha temple, he left his consort behind. And so, Lakshmi feels slighted. To pacify his wrathful wife, Jagannath doesn’t offer gold or grand gestures. He offers Rasagola. Sweet, syrupy, and made with devotion, the humble sweet becomes the ultimate peace offering.
