Puri, Mar 27: The public darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra at Puri Srimandir will be restricted for four hours from 5pm to 9pm for ‘Banakalagi Niti’.
Notably, Banaka Lagi also known as Srimukha Sringara ritual is performed seven to eight times in a year. During the ritual, Lord Jagannath and siblings adorn a new look after a special make-up on the Ratnavedi.
Banaka Lagi derives its name from ‘Bana’ meaning forest and ‘Lagi’ meaning apply. According to culture experts, certain rare forest products are used to prepare the four types of colours- haritala (red), hengula (yellow), sankha (white) and black and these are then applied to the face of the deities. Banaka Lagi ritual of the deities is performed by a particular class of servitors known as Datta Mahapatra.
Being a secret ritual, the public darshan has been restricted during the Banakalagi ritual.
