Banakalagi Ritual to Be Held at Puri Jagannath Temple Today; Public Darshan to Remain Closed for Five Hours

The sacred Banakalagi ritual, one of the most significant and secretive traditions of the Shree Jagannath Temple, will be performed on Ashadha Shukla Tithi today. As part of the ritual, public darshan will remain suspended from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

According to the temple administration, the Banakalagi ritual will begin after the completion of the second Bhogamandap offering. The ceremony is carried out exclusively by the Dutta Mahapatra servitors, who ascend the Ratna Singhasan to adorn the divine faces of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.

As the ritual is considered a confidential temple tradition, devotees are not allowed inside the temple during its performance. After the Banakalagi ritual concludes, the deities will undergo the Maha Snana (holy bathing) ritual, following which the remaining daily rituals will continue and public darshan will resume.

Banakalagi is regarded as one of the most important rituals in the Jagannath Temple’s centuries-old tradition. During the ceremony, the faces of the deities are carefully decorated using natural colours such as Hingula (cinnabar), Haritala (orpiment), black, white, and other traditional pigments. The intricate facial decoration enhances the divine appearance of the deities and reflects the rich artistic and spiritual heritage of the Jagannath tradition.

The ritual also marks the continuation of temple ceremonies following the deities’ return to the sanctum during Niladri Bije earlier this week. After remaining vacant for 27 days during the Rath Yatra festivities, the Ratna Singhasan was reoccupied by the sibling deities on Monday.

On Tuesday, devotees were offered Nilachala Abadha, the first rice Mahaprasad prepared after the deities returned to the temple. Temple servitors say devotees eagerly wait throughout the year to receive this sacred Mahaprasad, which is considered highly auspicious. Due to the lengthy rituals associated with Niladri Bije, the preparation and distribution of Nilachala Abadha traditionally begin the following day.

The Banakalagi ritual remains one of the most revered expressions of the Jagannath Temple’s unique spiritual traditions, drawing deep devotion and reverence from thousands of devotees every year.