PURI: With darshan of the Trinity at Sri Jagannath temple in Puri closed for a fortnight until Rath Yatra, the Alarnath temple at Brahmagiri, 23 km away from Puri, has been witnessing a beeline of devotees as they throng to the shrine to have darshan of deity Alarnath Deb and taste the temple’s prasad.
As per belief, the deities at Srimandir fall sick after Snan Purnima following which they take rest inside the Anasarghar (sick room) for 15 days until Rath Yatra. During this period, Lord Jagannath manifests himself in the form of Alarnath Deb.
During this time, scores of devotees throng the Alarnath temple to have a glimpse of Lord Jagannath and taste the holy ‘kheer’, a special delicacy offered to the deity. Sources said over 10,000 litres of buffalo milk among other ingredients is used for making the kheer prasad every day and offered to the deity.
The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth passage of devotees owing to the surge in visits. While darshan continues till late in the night, bhajans and other devotional songs are recited by singers during the rituals.