Odisha: Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb to abstain from Chhera Pahanra ritual

Due to COVID situation, the king said that his authorised servitor 'Mudihast' would perform the ritual on his behalf.
Sri Jagannath Temple (Photo | EPS)
Sri Jagannath Temple (Photo | EPS)

PURI: The foremost servitor of Sri Jagannath temple, Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb won't be performing the Chhera Pahanra ritual during Snana Purnima on Thursday. In a release, the king said, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, he would abstain from performing the traditional service.

His authorised servitor 'Mudihast' would perform the ritual on his behalf. The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration has been informed of the Gajapati’s decision.

Meanwhile, the Daita servitors would begin the ceremonial Pahandi of the Trinity at 1 am in the night after Mangalarpan and place them on the Snana Bedi (bathing altar) for the grand bath.

It would be completed by 4 am. The Snana Bedi has been set up at eastern side of the temple’s outer complex overlooking the Bada Danda. The altar has been decked up with colourful flowers. Earlier, servitors fixed ladders to the Ratnasimhasan for the Pahandi ritual.

After the deities are placed on the bathing altar, Mangala Arati, Mailum, Tadaplagi, Abakas, Suryapuja, Rosahoma rituals would begin before offering of Gopal bhog.

All the rituals would be over at 10 am. At 7.30 am, servitors would accord an aromatic bath to the Trinity with water from 108 pitchers. The ritual will be completed at 9.30 am. Then the deities would be decked up with new clothes. The representative of the Puri Gajapati would perform the Chhera Pahanra which would be completed at 10.30 am.

Three set of servitors would dress the deities in elephant attire called Hati Besha at 11 am and complete the ritual at 12 pm. After the Besha is unmade at 5 pm, the deities would be taken to Anasar Ghar (sick room) in the temple. 

The deities, suffering from fever after taking the bath, will remain in the Anasar Ghara for 15 days during which the temple physician will treat them with herbal drug. The Trinity would reappear in their rejuvenated youthful form for Nabajouban Darshan which will be held a day prior to Rath Yatra.

Puri Collector Samarth Verma said, swab samples were collected from 1,000 servitors for tests of which 900 came negative for COVIDd-19. These servitors would participate in the Pahandi and bathing rituals. Test reports of the rest 100 servitors are awaited.

As many as 35 platoons of police force have been deployed to prevent devotees from going to Bada Danda. All entry routes to Bada Danda have been sealed and section 144 clamped around Srimandir till Friday noon.

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