Puri: The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath entered its final phase Sunday with the commencement of the sacred Adhara pana ritual, a day after the deities were adorned with the spectacular Suna Besha (golden attire) atop their chariots.
Preparations for the ritual began early in the day as servitors fetched water from the traditional well located near Chauni Math, close to the Singhadwara (Lion’s Gate) of the Jagannath Temple.
The sacred drink, known as Adhara pana, is prepared using water mixed with chhena (fresh cottage cheese), cream, bananas, buttermilk, black pepper powder, camphor, nutmeg and other traditional ingredients.
The offering is placed in large earthen pots specially designed to touch the lips of the deities while they remain seated on their respective chariots. Temple priests perform the ritual using the prescribed Samanta Pancha Upachara rites before offering the preparation to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
After the offering, the earthen pots are ceremonially broken in front of the deities. According to temple tradition, the ritual is believed to offer the sacred drink to the guardian and attendant deities accompanying the Holy Trinity during the Rath Yatra, marking one of the final ceremonies before the annual chariot festival concludes.