Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has stitched up shawls (colloquially known as Ghoda Bastra) for the Srimandir deities to save them from cold during the ongoing winter season.
The presiding deities of Srimandir and other subsidiary deities would be draped in colourful shawls from December 13, said a source in the SJTA.
As per Srimandir tradition, Darzi (tailor) servitors of the shrine make new shawls for the deities every year. Tailors use Geetagovind Pata and other silk fabrics to stitch up shawls for the deities.
Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are draped in seven different colour shawls or winter garments in a week.
Traditionally, the servitors drape the deities in red colour shawls Sunday, white-black mixed shawls Monday and multicolour winter clothes Tuesday.
Lord Jagannath and his siblings are draped in blue, yellow, white and black shawls from Wednesday to Saturday.
This year, a group of Darzi servitors led by Prakash Mahapatra made the shawls at the office of SJTA Saturday.
“We have prepared shawls and other winter clothes for the presiding deities and subsidiary deities like Madanmohan, Garuda, Patitapaban, Nrusingha and Surya. The winter garments have been handed over to the SJTA,” Mahapatra.
Elaborating on the practice of draping shawls around the Srimandir deities in winter, a religious scholar said, “As per Srimandir tradition, Lord Jagannath and his siblings are living bodies. So, they need winter clothes to save them from cold. This is the uniqueness Jagannath culture.”
PNN