Bhubaneswar: Following the grand bath on Snana Purnima, Lord Jagannath and His siblings have fallen sick. To aid in their recovery, the temple deities are being administered a variety of herbal medicines under the guidance of the Raj Vaidya, or Royal Ayurvedic practitioner.
Today, a special offering called ‘Osa’ prepared by the Sudha Suara will be served to the deities as part of the ‘Osa Lagi’ ritual.
This ritual involves the application of medicinal lotions to the Trinity to facilitate their recovery. The Osa will be brought from Sudha Suara’s house and offered to the deities after the Madhyanha Dhupa. The Daitapati servitors will perform this ritual in the dead of night.
The deities are currently residing at the Anasara Pindi, where they are receiving treatment with specially prepared oils and herbal remedies.
Meanwhile, the Rupakara Sevayats are busy constructing the three chariots for the upcoming Rath Yatra scheduled to be held on June 27. They are working diligently to complete the task on schedule.
During the deities’ stay at Anasara Gruha, Lord Jagannath and his siblings are offered fruit juices and medicines made of indigenous herbs and roots.
Yesterday, Phuluri Tela was applied to the divine bodies of the deities for their early recuperation. Made of flowers such as Ketaki, Malli, Boula and Champa, roots, sandalwood powder, camphor, rice, grains and sesame oil, the oil is prepared on the fifth day of the annual Rath Yatra festival when Hera Panchami ritual is observed but the oil is applied on the idols during the hibernation in the next year.
