Lord Jagannath and his siblings were offered delicious drink on their respective chariots as part of the Adharapana ritual

Puri:30/6/23: Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were offered delicious drink on their respective chariots at the Lions’ Gate of Srimandir as part of the Adharapana ritual in Odisha’s Puri city today.

Thousands of devotees congregated at the seaside city to witness the unique ritual.

As per Srimandir tradition, 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, said a servitor of the 12^th century shrine

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, said a researcher.

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

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

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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.

“The evil spirits, who descend upon the Grand Road to witness the Ratha Jatra, are satiated by consuming the Adharapana. Therefore, devotees are forbidden to partake the drink,” said the researcher.