Puri: The Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri will remain closed for devotees for four hours Wednesday evening during a special ritual ceremony, an official said.
The shrine will be shut from 6 pm to 10 pm when the ‘Banakalagi Niti’ will be performed, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said in a release.
“On Wednesday, the 15th April, 2026… the Banakalagiu Niti of the holy deities will be performed. Therefore, after the completion of the second bhog mandap offering, public darshan will remain temporarily suspended from 6 pm to 10 pm,” it said.
The temple usually remains open for devotees till midnight.
‘Banaklagi’ is a special ritual in which natural colours are applied on the idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
During ‘Banakalagi’, also called ‘Srimukha Sringara’, a category of servitors known as the ‘Dutta Mohapatra’ apply colours prepared from herbs and materials like ‘kasturi’ (musk) and ‘karpura’ (camphor) on the idols’ faces.
The ritual is performed many times in a year, often on Wednesdays or Thursdays, an SJTA official said.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Odia New Year, another ritual was performed on Tuesday night, when the ‘Ratna Palankas’ (bejewelled beds) of the idols were replaced by new ones.
The old ‘Ratna Palanks’, each measuring 5 ft in length and 3 ft in width, were shifted to the Niladri Museum for preservation.
“The palanks are constructed using Burma teak and silver plating. The beds have intricate design,” SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said.
PTI
