Blood stains at Puri Jagannath Temple: Maha Snan for deities, delay in Paita Lagi Niti

An unprecedented incident at the holy Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri has led temple authorities to conduct the Maha Snan ritual and an expected delay in the scheduled Paita Lagi Niti of the temple's presiding deities.

According to reports, a jawan at the temple reportedly injured his foot on broken glass within the temple premises, leading to blood stains on the sacred grounds.

In keeping with age-old traditions aimed at preserving the sanctity of the temple, the priests initiated the Maha Snan, a ceremonial bathing of the deities, immediately after the morning Abakash Niti.

What is Maha Snan and why it matters

Maha Snan is a deeply significant purification ritual performed when the sanctity of the temple is considered compromised. During this rite, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Maa Subhadra are ritually cleansed to restore spiritual purity.

Notably, during these proceedings, public darshan remains suspended. As a result, devotees were unable to enter the temple, which will again be out of bounds today owing to the scheduled Paita Laga Niti.

ALSO READ: Dhadi Darshan at Puri Jagannath temple likely by this month end: Odisha Law Minister

Paita Lagi Niti delayed

The temple administration had earlier announced a closure for devotees from 5 pm to 10 pm for the Paita Lagi Niti, an elaborate and secretive ritual where the sibling deities are adorned with a sacred silk cloth known as ‘Basunga Patta’ and sandalwood paste. This offering is performed by Daitapati servitors after the second Bhog Mandap meal.

Due to the Maha Snan, the Paita Lagi Niti is expected to be delayed by a few hours. “The Bada Maha Snan takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to be completed owing to purification rituals. There possibly would be a delay of about a couple of hours during the Paita Laga Niti owing to the Maha Snan proceedings,” said Daitapati Binayak Das Mahapatra.