Puri, Jan 14: The Holy Trinity of Srimandir in Puri will be adorned in the sacred Nabanka Besha today. Along with the special attire, the Chaula Melan and Phula Melan rituals will also be performed as part of the day’s temple traditions.

Today also marks the concluding day of Pahili Bhoga of Mahaprabhu, which had commenced on the occasion of Dhanu Sankranti. In the evening, the Malachula will be placed on the deities with the assistance of Khuntia and Pushpalak servitors.

During the Badasinghar Besha, the deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be adorned with conch shells, chakras, ploughshares, tusks and earrings crafted from thermocol, polythene and kaintha gum.

In this attire, Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra will wear Makar Kundal, conch shells, chakras, ploughshares and tusks made of sol. This special adornment is popularly known as Nabanka Besha or Navaka Besha.

As part of the Nabanka Besha, the heads of the deities seated on the Ratna Singhasan will be decorated with long garlands of marigolds extending down to the floor. In the Badasinghar Besha, ornaments such as cheeta, guna, karapallava, adharamala and sripayara mala adorning the deities are also prepared using marigold flowers.

The Hruda Padaka, a floral ornament made of marigolds combined with roses, is another key feature of the Besha.

The elaborate marigold garlands used for the occasion are traditionally prepared by the Mahant of the Bada Odia Math along with his disciples and are offered to the temple.

As per tradition, the Bada Odia Math offers a 16-hand-long garland for Lord Jagannath, a 14-hand-long garland for Lord Balabhadra and a 12-hand-long garland for Devi Subhadra, all made of thousands of marigold flowers interwoven with sacred Tulsi leaves.