PURI: The Trinity of Jagannath temple here were offered ‘Adhara Pana’ on the chariots on Tuesday night.
As per tradition, nine large open mouth barrel-shaped clay pitchers (three on each Rath) were placed in front of the deities touching the lips of the idols, which renders the name of ‘Adhara Pana’ to the ritual. The priests offered the drink in the pitchers to the deities while performing ‘Sodosha Upachar Pooja’. Soon after the offering late in the night, the earthen pitchers were smashed on the chariots spilling the entire drink on the platform.
It is believed that numerous spirits, ghostly bodies and souls that trailed the Lords during the Rath Yatra eagerly await this moment to get ‘Mokshya’ by partaking the holy drink.
A large number of devotees, who had assembled on the Bada Danda for the special drink, collected it from the underbelley of the chariots soon after the pitchers were smashed by the servitors.
The deities would remain on the Raths for two more nights and enter the sanctum sanctorum of Jagannath temple on Thursday night in a ceremonial Pahandi amidst display of fireworks and chanting of hymns.
Before entering the temple, the Trinity would be offered ‘Rasogolla’ bhog on the chariots. With Niladri Bije (homecoming of the deities), the annual Rath Yatra of the deities will come to an end and the deities will give darshan to the devotees in the main temple.