Puri, Sept 10: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed for five hours on Thursday, as part of the Banakalagi ritual dedicated to Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities. Devotees will be restricted from accessing the temple for darshan between 5 pm and 10 pm.

The closure was announced by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), which confirmed that the temple’s sanctum sanctorum would be off-limits during this period.       

According to the temple guidelines, the Banakalagi Niti, also known as Shrimukha Sringara, is traditionally performed on Wednesday or Thursday. This ritual involves the application of fresh natural colours to the idols of the sibling deities, using materials like Hingula, Haritala, Kasturi, Keshar, and Kaintha glue to prepare a special "Banaka" for the idols.

The ritual is carried out by the Dutta Mohapatra servitors and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors. During this time, the inner sanctum (garbhagruha) of the temple remains closed, and no outsiders are permitted inside.

Devotees are advised to plan their visits accordingly, as the temple will reopen after the ritual concludes at 10 pm.