Puri Srimandir rituals: Lord Jagannath, His siblings to adorn rare Padmabesha today

Lord Jagannath and His siblings at Puri Srimandir (the 12th century shrine) will adorn the rare and divine Padmabesha, a visually captivating and spiritually significant attire.

Also Read: SJTA proposes Heritage Illumination for Puri Jagannath Temple; estimated cost Rs 17.12 Crore

This special Besha is observed on the first Wednesday between Magha Shukla Pratipada and Shri Panchami (Saraswati Puja). The responsibility of providing all materials required for the decoration is traditionally undertaken by the Badachhata Matha every year.

During this rare Besha, the Chaturdha Bigraha is fully decorated with lotus flowers. Artisans will prepare the divine attires and those will be brought to the temple later this evening.

The Padmabesha is crafted using traditional elements such as Sola, Banana Patuka (fibre), Zari, Jambura, along with natural colours and adhesive. The artisans involved observe strict rituals, including consuming only Habishanna, and create the Besha with complete devotion and purity of intent, dedicated to the Lords (Holy Trinity).

These sacred attires are worn by the presiding deities only once a year, during the Badasinghara ritual, after which He retires for the night in the same besha. Devotees can witness this divine form until the performance of the Mangala Alati ritual the next morning.

It is believed that Lord Jagannath adopted this Padmabesha to fulfil the heartfelt wishes of a devotee named Manohara Das, making the occasion deeply significant for devotees.

As per the legend, Manohar Das had undertaken a long winter journey to Puri to present lotus flowers to Lord Jagannath. By the time he arrived, the harsh cold had caused the flowers to wither.

The temple Sevayats (servitors) initially declined to accept the offering. However, touched by Manohar Das’ unwavering devotion, Lord Jagannath had appeared in the dream of the Gajapati Maharaja and instructed him to allow the devotee to offer the flowers.

When the dried lotuses were finally offered to the deities during the Badasinghara ritual, they had miraculously regained their freshness.