Bhubaneswar: Public darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain suspended for nearly four hours on Thursday evening due to the performance of the sacred Banakalagi Niti ritual of sibling deities, informed the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Wednesday.
The ritual will be observed on Shrabana Shukla Pratipada tithi, which falls on Thursday. As per the schedule, public darshan will remain closed from around 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, following the completion of the second Bhogamantap Bhog.
“On Thursday, 13th August 2026, Shrabana Shukla Pratipada tithi, Banakalagi Niti of the Deities will be performed. Therefore, after the completion of Second Bhoga Mandapa offering, public darshan will remain temporarily suspended from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM”, read the notification issued by the SJTA.
According to temple tradition, the Banakalagi Niti is a confidential and special ritual performed exclusively by the Datta Mahapatra sevayats on the Ratna Bedi (sacred altar). During this ritual, the holy faces (Shrimukha) of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Sudarshana are adorned with natural colours and fragrant substances.
Natural ingredients such as Hingula (vermilion red), Haritala (yellow orpiment), powdered Shankha (conch shell white), Kala (black), along with aromatic materials like Kasturi (musk) and Keshara (saffron), are used in preparing the sacred facial decorations. The colours are traditionally mixed with camphor and musk before being applied to the deities.
