Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed to devotees for five hours on Thursday to facilitate the sacred Banakalagi Niti of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. According to a notification issued by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), darshan of the deities will be restricted from 5 pm to 10 pm.

The Banakalagi ritual, also known as Shrimukha Sringara, is a traditional ceremony performed either on a Wednesday or Thursday as per temple customs. During the ritual, the deities are adorned with fresh natural colours to symbolically rejuvenate their divine appearance. Ingredients such as Hingula (red), Haritala (yellow), Kasturi (musk), Keshar (saffron), and the natural adhesive extracted from Kaintha fruit are used to prepare the sacred Banaka.

As per centuries-old tradition, the Dutta Mohapatra servitors along with Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors carry out the elaborate ritual inside the garbhagruha (sanctum sanctorum). During this time, the sanctum remains strictly closed, and no outsiders are permitted entry until the completion of the ceremony.

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