Lord Jagannath & siblings retreat to Anasara Pindi

Puri: The elaborate bath with 108 pitchers of herbal and aromatic water on Tuesday, sibling deities were taken to AnasaraGhar in Jagannath Temple. With the Srimandir closed for public darshan, devotees thronged Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri.The deities are kept in AnasaraPindi during this period and are offered Pana Bhoga by Pati Mahapatra.

Medicines, including Jhuna, KainthaAtha and other herbs, are offered to the deities by Daitapatis. Bada Odia Mutt, which is the Adi Pitha of Atibadi Jagannath Das, prepares PuluriTela (oil) for the deities.

It is applied to the idols. The oil is made using flowers such as Ketaki, Malli, Boula and Champa, roots, sandalwood powder, camphor, rice and grains.

The main ingredient is sesame oil. PhuluriTela is applied on the wooden idols on Ashtami to protect them from insects. The oil is preserved in an earthen pot and in a pit under soil after Rath Yatra for about a year. After the oil massage, KainthaAtha (wood apple) is applied to the deities and idols and covered with new clothes.

Since the idols are made of wood, Badagrahies do check the idols minutely during this period. Likewise, Khadi (primer) is applied to the deities on the KhadilagiEkadasi. On Dasami when deities are said to regain balance and feel better after sitting properly on the wheels.Khadilagi and RaktaBastralagi rituals are held on Ekadasi. On Dwadasi, Raja Prasad BijeNiti is held.

During this ritual, the Daitapatis take all the items of the deities to the Gajapati Maharaja, who is the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, and inform him about them having been cured. On Treyadashi, Ghanalagi ritual is held.

Ghana, which is made of ropes, is tied to the deities during this ritual, which takes over 10-12 hours.It is followed by Banakalagi ritual when the deities are painted in a new colour.After Ghanalagi and Banakalagi rituals, the deities are decked up in NabajoubanaBesha on Amabasya.