Banakalagi ritual in Puri Srimandir to be held on next Wednesday

The much-awaited Banakalagi ritual of the Lord Jagannath at Srimandir in Puri will finally be held on August 9 (Wednesday), informed Temple Administration sources.

The ritual which has been an issue of contention between the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Srimandir servitors, cannot be held this Wednesday (Tomorrow) because of some other important rituals falling on the same day. However, the same will be held on next Wednesday.

As per the Srimandir Record of Rights, the ritual should be held at least four times a month, but a reported dispute between the SJTA and the Dattamohapatra servitors has resulted in the disruption of the ritual.

Sources said, while the Dattamohapatra servitors keep insisting on conducting the ritual every Thursday, the SJTA has been keen on doing it on Wednesdays, hence the dispute.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lord Jagannath had been without his customary weekly-Banakalagi (Sringar) ritual since Niladribije this year which was held on July 1.