: The world-famous Puri Jagannath temple will remain closed for devotees four hours tomorrow that is on Monday, said the X post by Shree Jagannatha Temple Office, Puri.
The temple will be shut for the public in order to perform the scared Khasapada Lagi ritual on Monday.
According to the temple authorities the devotees will be barred from the darshan of the sibling deities Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra from 6pm in the evening to 10 pm tomorrow. The Khasapada Lagi Niti will be performed after the second bhoga is offered to the deities at the Bhoga Mandap. Following the completion of the ritual the public darshan will resume as per usual.
The Khasapada Niti (Khasapada Laagi) is a secret, specialized ritual that is performed at the Puri Jagannath Temple twice a year after Rath Yatra and after Holi celebrations. The ritual is performed to safeguard the sacred bodies of the sibling deities.
The bodies of the Trinity are exposed to the sun, rain, and other environmental factors during major festivals like Rath Yatra and Holi, which cause damage. To repair this damage, the Daitapati servitors repair and apply a protective herbal paste to the wooden idols to fix damages caused by environmental exposure or rituals.