Puri, Nov 3: The sacred Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath and His siblings will be performed at the Srimandir in Puri on Wednesday. Devotees will not be allowed to have darshan of the deities for a few hours during the special ritual.

The ritual will begin in the afternoon after the completion of the second Bhoga Mandap ritual. Dattamahapatra servitors will enter the sanctum sanctorum to perform the traditional facial make-up of the deities.

Various natural ingredients, including Hingula, Haritala, Shankha, Keshara, camphor, Kaitha gum, Kasturi and black colour, will be used during the ritual. These materials are applied to enhance the divine appearance of the deities' sacred faces.

Several servitors, including Palia Pujapanda, Palia Khuntia, Garabadu, Palia Pushpalak, Changada Mekap and Muduli, will assist in conducting the ritual.

The exact timing of the Banakalagi ritual and the duration of the darshan suspension will depend on the day's scheduled temple rituals. Generally, darshan remains suspended for around three to four hours during the Banakalagi ceremony.