Jagannath Temple to close for four hours on Wednesday for Banakalagi

Bhubaneswar, Aug 20: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will be closed for four hours on Wednesday to conduct the Banakalagi ritual for Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. During this period, from 5 pm to 9 pm, devotees will not be able to access the temple for darshan of the deities.

According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the temple will reopen for darshan of the Holy Trinity after 9 pm, once the ritual is complete.

The Banakalagi Niti, also known as Shrimukha Sringara, involves the application of fresh colors to the deities' idols. This ritual, typically held on Wednesdays or Thursdays, uses natural pigments such as Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and Kaintha glue to prepare a special color mixture known as Banaka.

The ritual is carried out by the Dutta Mohapatra and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors, who use materials like kasturi, harital, karpura, kesar, kalasankha, and dhalasankha to prepare the Banaka. During this time, the temple's sanctum sanctorum, or garbhagruha, will be closed to outsiders.