Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), July 24: The Banakalagi ritual for the Holy Trinity—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—will take place at Srimandir on Wednesday. The temple will be closed to devotees from 6 PM to 9 PM for this special ceremony, according to temple authorities.
This will be the first Banakalagi ritual following the ‘Niladri Bije’ after the Rath Yatra, during which Lord Jagannath and his siblings travel from the Shree Jagannath Temple to their aunt’s abode at Gundicha Temple.
The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) has announced that the Banakalagi ritual will be conducted by Dutta Mohapatra servitors from 6 PM to 9 PM. During this time, public darshan at the 12th-century shrine will be suspended.
The Banakalagi ritual, also known as ‘Srimukha Sringara’, involves applying fresh colors to the deities’ idols to restore their original appearance. The ‘Banaka’ mixture is made from natural colors such as Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and Kaintha glue.
Both the Puri district administration and SJTA have arranged for heightened security around the temple for the duration of the Banakalagi ritual.
