Pahili Bhoga rituals at Puri Srimandir approved

In a major decision,  'Pahili Bhoga' rituals at Puri Srimandir have been approved in the Chhatisa Nijog meeting on Friday.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator, Arabinda Padhe, informed about the development. As per the decision in the meeting, the special 'Pahili Bhoga' arrangement will be in force from December 16 to January 13.

As per sources, 'Pahili Bhoga' will be offered at the Srimandir between 5:30 am and 6 am. It has been decided that the 'Dwaraphita' ritual will be conducted at 2 am, while the Pahuda ritual will take place at 11 pm.

On January 3, the 'Debabhisheka' ritual and the rare Sunabesha (golden attire) of the deities will be performed at the temple. The Nijog has also given importance to the Makar Sankranti rituals, scheduled for January 14.

To streamline and coordinate all the rituals at Srimandir, a subcommittee of the servitors will be formed. Special focus has also been given to arrange exclusive darshan facilities for the Divyang devotees. A decision on this will be taken in the upcoming Srimandir Managing Committee meeting. Preparations regarding the draft guideline on this matter were discussed during the meeting.

Also Read: Long queues, daily struggles: Puri residents call for hassle-free darshan arrangements at Srimandir

Speaking about the Ratna Bhandar, the Chief Administrator said that inventory work will be carried out only after approval from the Ratna Bhandar Committee, the Srimandir Managing Committee, and the State Government.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Collector, the Additional SP, servitor representatives of the Chhatisa Nijog, members of the Shrimandir Managing Committee, and other administrative officials.

"Elaborate discussion was made about the timings of Pahili Bhoga rituals this year. Subsequently, it has been approved by both Chhatisa Nijog and ritual sub-committee meetings," said SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee.