Darshan to be Closed for 4 Hrs at Puri Jagannath Temple for Rahurekha Lagi Ritual Today

Puri: The Sri Jagannath temple will shut up the darshan of deities for 4hrs for Rahurekha Lagi ritual to be held on Saturday on the occasion of Rekha Panchami that falls on the fifth day of the Krushna Paksha of the Bhadraba month.

For it the temple will remain closed for the general public from 2 pm to 6 pm.

The Rahurekha Lagi ritual will be conducted by the Daitapati servitors in the temple. It will be performed after the Bhoga Mandap puja. As it is a secret ritual, the Jaya Vijaya Dwara will remain close during the period.

The ritual begins with the Mahajana Sevak performing the ‘Bije ritual’ of Sridevi and Bhudevi at the Ratna Simhasana. Then the Paliakuntia Sevak will inform the Daitapati Sevaks to conduct Rahurekha Lagi ritual.

Rahurekha is the golden Patti adorning the deity. The concerned servitors will consecrate or perform the ‘sanskara of Rahu Rekha through a ‘lepa’ made from Rasi Tela ( seasame oil) and Jhuna Gunda on the forehead of deities. Rahurekha is first adorned to Lord Balabhadra, then Sri Jagannath and lastly to Devi Subhadra.

After the Snana Purnima, the Rahurekha was removed from the faces of the deities.

After the Rahu Rekha ritual is completed, there will be the Mahasnana, and then the general public will be allowed to enter temple for darshan.