Bhubaneswar, May 19: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed for devotees for four hours on Wednesday evening for the sacred Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) announced.

According to an official notification issued by the SJTA, the Banakalagi Niti will be performed on the occasion of Jyeshtha Krushna Chaturthi Tithi from 6 PM to 10 PM. As a result, public darshan inside the temple will remain temporarily suspended during the ritual period.

The notification stated that after the completion of the second Bhog Mandap offering, devotees will not be allowed inside the temple premises until the ritual concludes at 10 PM.

Banakalagi is an important traditional ritual during which fresh natural colours are applied to the idols of the sibling deities. Ingredients such as Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar and glue prepared from Kaintha are used to make the sacred Banaka paste for the ritual.

As per temple tradition, the rituals are performed by Dutta Mohapatra servitors and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors inside the sanctum sanctorum. During the ceremony, the garbhagruha remains completely closed to outsiders.

Temple authorities have requested devotees to plan their visit accordingly as no public entry will be permitted during the specified period.

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