Bhubaneswar: Darshan of the deities at Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha will be restricted for five hours on Monday on account of the ‘Paita Lagi’ ritual.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), devotees will not be allowed to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra at the 12th-century shrine from 5 pm to 10 pm today after the second Bhoga Mandap Bhoga. On this occasion, a large quantity rice, dal, different varieties of vegetable curries, and cakes of different kinds are offered to the sibling deities in the Bhoga Mandap Griha. This bhoga is available to devotees after the rituals as it prepared by Suaras on commercial basis.
During the ‘Paita Lagi’ Niti, the servitors cover the body of the deities with a special silk cloth – ‘Basunga Patta’, which is later rubbed with sandalwood paste. Daitapati servitors perform this secret ritual.
