India News | 'Adhar Pana' Ritual of Offering Sweet Water to Lord Jagannath Before Return to Temple Held

Puri (Odisha), Jun 30 (PTI) 'Adhar Pana', a ritual of offering sweet water to Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath on their chariots a day before their return to the 12th century temple, was held on Friday.

'Adhar' (lips) and 'Pana' (sweet water) literary means offering of sweet water to the deities in a pot that touches their lips.

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Three earthen pots filled with sweet water were offered to the sibling deities on the chariots. The earthen pots were broken after those touched the lips of the deities.

"The sweet water that touched the lips of deities was offered to the spirits that surrounded the chariots," said Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher in the Jagannath culture.

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Mishra says that this apart, the water is also meant as a refreshment for the Gods and Goddesses who stayed on the chariots during Rath Yatra to guard the Lords during their journey.

As per the tradition, water is brought from a well near 'Chhauni Matha'. Then Pana is prepared with milk cream, cheese, sugar, banana, camphor, nutmeg, black pepper and other spices, before being offered to the deities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)