TV
Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities-Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, are suffering from fever, and as per the age-old tradition, the Holy Trinity will be treated with 'Phuluri' oil (a special herbal oil) on the auspicious occasion of Anasara Panchami on Monday.
This age-old practice, popularly known as ‘Phuluri Tela Seva’, is part of the rituals during the ‘Anasara’ stay of the deities.
What is Phuluri Tela Seva?
This special service offered to the Holy Trinity is a secret ritual that is performed on the occasion of Anasara Panchami for more than 1000 years. It is believed that the special ritual is carried out to cure ailing Lord Jagannath and his siblings of fever caused by excess bathing during ‘Snana Yatra’, which was recently conducted in Puri in a grand manner.
As per the popular belief, the deities fall ill after takinga bath with 108 pitchers of herbal and aromatic water on Snana Purnima day. The special herbal oil treatment helps the deities get cured and prepare for the famous annual sojourn ‘Rath Yatra’.
How Phuluri oil is prepared?
As per the age old tradition, ‘Phuluri’ oil is prepared by the Bada Odia Matha every year by mixing pure sesame oil with several fragrant flowers such as Ketaki, Malli, Boula, and Champa, roots, sandalwood powder, camphor, rice, grains and herbs.
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A total of 24 ingredients are used to prepare Phuluri tela. The oil is then stored under ground on the holy occasion of 'Hera Panchami' for almost a year until it becomes ready for use during Deva Snana Purnima.
The deities are currently on a 15-day-long ‘Anasara’ stay in the temple. They will recover from their illness after the Phuluri oil treatment on the occasion of ‘Naba Jaubana Darshan’, just before the Rath Yatra.
"The deities will gradually recover after Phuluri oil treatment and become fully ready for the annual sojourn during Rath Yatra," said Jagannath culture expert Padmanabha Tripathy.
