Puri: The servitors of Srimandir Thursday dressed Lord Jagannath His elder brother Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra with warm clothes on the occasion of “Ghodalagi” or “Odhanasthi”.
The ritual is observed to mark the beginning of the winter.
Three set of dressers adorn the deities with headgears made of wool and cotton, velvet blankets to cover the deities to protect them from cold.
As per tradition, the colour of the warm dresses keeps changing every day of the week as per the ruling star of the day.
Moreover, each star, as per the temple almanac, was identified with a specific colour.
On Monday colour of the dress is gray, Tuesday a typical dress blended with five different colours called Barapatia, Wednesday blue, Thursday yellow, Friday white, Saturday black and red clothes are used on Sunday.
Every afternoon, after offering of bhog, the servitors dress Lord Jagannath His elder brother Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra in warm clothes.
This practice is repeated every day from ‘Odhana Sasthi to Basanta Panchami’ (Saraswati Puja), said the dressers.
The colours were prescribed according to the ruling stars and planets of the particular day.
During the daytime, the lords use their routine dresses but in the evening they were covered with warm dresses.
Taking cue from this practice in the 12th century shrine, many devotees also imitate deities in using warm clothes.
Every year hundreds of devotees witness this colourful winter Besha of the presiding deities of Srimandir.