The servitors at the Jagannath Temple in Puri performed the significant ‘Adharapana’ ritual before the sibling deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra – seated on their chariots – Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana – outside the Lion’s Gate (Singh Dwara) of the 12th-century shrine.
This ritual, a crucial part of the annual Rath Yatra, commenced at 4.30 PM and concluded at 9 PM. This ritual traditionally follows the Suna Besha ceremony of the deities. Thousands of devotees gathered in the holy city to witness the divine offering of the Trinity on Monday, July 7.
During ‘Adharapana,’ a special drink is presented to the deities in nine cylindrical pots, specifically designed to reach their lips on the chariots. The name ‘Adharapana’ combines ‘Adhara’ (lips) and ‘Pana’ (a delectable drink made with the mixture of jaggery, grated coconut, cottage cheese, gram flour, spices and other ingredients).
After the offering of the drink to the deities on their respective chariots, the servitors ceremonially broke the nine large earthen pots—three placed before each deity—releasing the sweet beverage. This spilled drink is meant for the subsidiary deities on the chariots, as well as for evil spirits and ghostly bodies. Devotees are explicitly forbidden from collecting or consuming the drink.
The ‘Adharapana’ ritual marks the symbolic end of the Rath Yatra, as the deities are set to return to their sanctum sanctorum in a ceremonial procession called Niladri Bije on Tuesday, July 8.
Niladri Bije, which is the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha, signifies the final phase of this year’s Rath Yatra, which began on June 27.
During Niladri Bije, Lord Jagannath will appease an angered Goddess Laxmi by offering her Rasagola before re-entering the temple.
Devotees will be able to have darshan of the deities on the Ratna Singhasana (the bejeweled platform of the deities) starting from Thursday, July 10.
This year’s Rath Yatra was unfortunately marked by a stampede near the Gundicha Temple on June 29, which claimed the lives of three pilgrim, and also by chaotic scenes during the chariot pulling on June 27.
