Adhara Pana Ritual of Lord Jagannath and Siblings to Be Held Today in Puri: Know Its Significance
Adhara Pana ritual for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra held in Puri, offering sweet drink to appease spirits and deities during Rath Yatra.
image for illustrative purpose
The sacred Adhara Pana ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra will be observed today, July 7, on Ashadha Shukla Dwadashi, on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) in Puri. Held a day after the grand Suna Besha and just before Niladri Bije, this ritual is among the concluding ceremonies of the annual Rath Yatra festival.
A Sweet Offering by Mahasuara Servitors
As per tradition, each deity seated atop their chariot is offered a sacred drink called ‘Pana’, prepared by the Mahasuara servitors. This drink is a mix of milk, banana, chhena (cottage cheese), camphor, nutmeg, black pepper, and water, carefully blended and poured into large cylindrical earthen pots. Each chariot receives nine such pots, symbolically placed before the respective deity.
Not for Human Consumption
Unlike other offerings, the Adhara Pana is not meant to be consumed by devotees. After being offered, the earthen pots are intentionally broken, allowing the drink to flow freely onto the chariot platforms. This act reinforces the belief that the offering is strictly reserved for divine and spiritual beings.
Spiritual Significance
The ritual is deeply rooted in tradition, believed to appease subsidiary deities who accompany the divine siblings during the Rath Yatra. Additionally, it is meant to satisfy wandering spirits and non-embodied souls, providing them peace and possibly salvation. These beings are said to hover around the chariots during the procession, drawn by the divine energy of the deities.
Timing and Next Ritual
The Adhara Pana ritual is scheduled to take place from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM today. Following this, on Tuesday, the Niladri Bije will mark the final phase of the Rath Yatra, where the deities return to the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple and are ceremonially placed on the Ratna Singhasana (jeweled throne).
This centuries-old ritual not only highlights the spiritual richness of Odisha’s traditions but also the inclusive reverence extended to all beings — seen and unseen — during the divine journey of the Lords.
