Puri: Shree Jagannath temple in Puri would remain out of bounds for devotees for four hours Monday evening for a special ritual inside the shrine, the temple administration said in a public notice.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) notice said, “On Monday, the 6th April 2026, the ‘Paitalagi 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.
The ‘Paitalagi’ is a special ritual in the 12th-century shrine performed by ‘Daitapati’ servitors in which the Trinity – Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath – adorn the sacred thread known as ‘Paita’. In the ritual, special silk threads are tied to the deities. It is a yellow thread for Lord Jagannath, green for Lord Balabhadra and red for Subhadra.
The ritual symbolises divine protection and purity and holds deep spiritual significance as it represents the renewal of divine energy and the safeguarding of the deities.
Meanwhile, the temple administration has geared up for the second phase of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) inventory in the shrine April 8, said SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee.
He said there is no restriction on the visit of devotees during the inventory. “The inventory will not be held Sundays and important festival days,” he said.
The inventory of the Ratna Bhandar in the 12th-century shrine began March 25, after a gap of 48 years.
PTI
