Lord Jagannath, siblings offered ‘Adharapana’ on chariots at Odisha’s Puri

Bhubaneswar: Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were offered Adharapana (delicious drink) on their respective chariots at the Lions’ Gate of Srimandir at Odisha’s Puri town today.

Thousands of devotees congregated on the Grand Road of the Holy Town to witness the ritual.

Traditionally, the special drink is offered to the deities in nine cylindrical pots reaching up to their lips on their chariots. That is why the ritual is called Adharapana.

In the past, the special drink used to be offered to the deities in 12 pots—three on Bahuda Dasami, three on Ekadasi, three on Dwadasi, two for Ram and Krushna on Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot and one pot for Madan Mohan on Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosa chariot.

In the recent years, the drink is being offered in nine pots, three pots for each deity, on a single day.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and authorities of Raghab Das mutt and Badaodia mutt supply three earthen pots each and the ingredients for the preparation of the sweet drink.

Ingredients like cheese, milk, sugar, banana, camphor, nuts, black pepper and extracts from holy basil plants are required for the preparation of the Adharapana.

Mahasuar servitors of the temple usually prepare the drink by mixing the above said ingredients with the holy water collected from a well in front of Chhauni Mutt near the Lions’ Gate of Srimandir.

Patribadu, Suarbadu and Garabadu servitors perform the puja on the three chariots. A Bhog is then offered to the deities by Palia Pujapanda servitors.

After the Bhog is offered, the pots are broken before the deities and the drink is spilled away on the chariots.

It is believed that the spillover drink is for the subsidiary deities placed on the chariots, evil spirits and ghostly bodies. As per tradition, the devotees are forbidden to partake Adharapana.

It is worth mentioning here that the deities had embarked on their journey towards Srigundicha temple from Srimandir by riding their chariots for nine-day sojourn on the occasion of Rath Jatra on July 7.

After a day’s halt midway, the deities reached Srigundicha temple on July 8. They were taken to the Adapa Mandap of Srigundicha temple the next day.

The sibling deities had returned to the Lions’ Gate of the 12^th century shrine from Srigundicha temple by riding their chariots on the occasion of Bahuda Jatra on July 15. They were adorned with Suna Besha (golden attire) on their chariots on July 17.