Puri: The 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed to devotees for five hours Thursday for the observance of the ‘Rukmini Haran and Bibaha Utsav’ ritual, officials said.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said ‘darshan’ would remain suspended from 1 pm to 6 pm.
“On Thursday, June 25, 2026, on Jyestha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi, the Rukmini Harana and Bibaha Utsav Niti will be performed. Therefore, after the completion of the first Bhog Mandap offering, public darshan will remain temporarily suspended from 1 pm to 6 pm,” it said in a notification.
The ritual, observed on Rukmini Haran Ekadashi, commemorates the marriage of Lord Krishna and Devi Rukmini, as described in Hindu scriptures.
Lord Jagannath is worshipped as Lord Krishna in Kali Yuga, while Devi Rukmini is regarded as an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Mythology holds that Lord Krishna abducted Rukmini and married her, foiling a proposed marriage between her and Shishupal.
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During the ritual, Madan Mohan, the festival idol of Lord Jagannath, is brought out from the sanctum after being seated on the Ratna Singhasan. He symbolically marries Shri Devi, the movable idol of Goddess Lakshmi.
The episode of Rukmini Haran, including the abduction and subsequent wedding, is enacted within the temple premises. The marriage ceremony is finally performed at the Vivaha Mandap.
Jagannath culture researcher Bhaskar Mishra said Pattajoshi Mohapatra, the chief of the Chhattisa Nijog, the apex body of temple servitors, performs the ‘kanyadaan’ ritual during the ceremony.
The temple administration will organise a community feast and distribute Mahaprasad among devotees. A servitors’ association will also observe the occasion by distributing bhog outside the temple premises, officials said.
