Odisha: Lord Jagannath temple gets 6-month-old servitor

PURI (ODISHA): A six-month-old boy named Swastik Dutta Mohapatra has officially been enlisted as the servitor of the Srimandir, the abode of Lord Jagannath, in Odisha’s pilgrim city Puri.

After being enlisted as the servitor of the temple, Swastik, son of servitor Rati Dutta Mohapatra, committed himself in the Banakalagi service of the deities.

Banakalagi is a special ritual performed in the temple.

As per the tradition, just like the kids of servitors get inducted into Daitapati Nijog, a different sect priests, — the kids of Dutta Mohapatra servitors sect too enter the Srimandir and get enlisted as temple priests.

“Swastik had performed the ‘Khadi Lagi’ ritual on Thursday last week and he will do some secret rituals,” said the kid’s father.

Kadhi Lagi is a ritual when the child is introduced to formal education.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are taken ill after the ceremonial bath on Snana Purnima or bathing ceremony of the deities. They are then taken to the ‘Anasara Gruha’ (quarantine) where they recuperate. During this period, the deities are kept away from the public view. On Khalilagi Ekadasi, the 11th day of the waning phase of the moon in the month of June-July (Odia month of Asadha), a soft pulp-like paste prepared from wheat flour and sandalwood is massaged on the bodies of the deities.

Soon after ‘Raja Prasad Bije’ or ‘Khadi Prasad Bije’ and ‘Sripayara Puja’ rituals, an important ‘Khadilagi’ ritual is performed in which the idols are applied with a fine paste prepared from powdered conch shells. Then the final layer of natural paints and organic materials are applied. This is known as the ‘Banaka Lagi’ ritual.