Winter at Puri is wrapped in devotion

By Binit Kumar Bhoi

Ghodalagi Besa—also known as Ghoda Lagi or Sadha Besa—marks the season when Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are lovingly adorned with thick velvet, woollen headgear, and layered cotton wraps. From Odana Sasthi to Basanta Panchami, this daily ritual after madhyahna bhog reflects something deeply human: caring for the Lord like one would for a child.

Among the 32 beshas of Jagannath Temple, Ghodalagi stands apart for its intimacy. Colorus change with weekdays, servitors carefully replace each layer at Ratna Singhasan, and devotion unfolds quietly—day after day, through winter.

The tradition also carries a lesson. When Pundarika Vidyanidhi once found fault with the winter cloth offered to Jagannath, the Lord corrected him in a dream—reminding devotees that whatever Jagannath accepts is already pure. Ghodalagi Besa thus becomes not just a ritual of warmth, but of humility and trust in seva.

(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)