Niladri Bije 2023: Holy Trinity to return to Puri Srimandir today

Puri: Niladri Bije is a significant part of Rath Yatra. It marks the return of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, to the Srimandir in Odisha’s Puri.

During Niladri Bije, the deities are welcomed back into the temple with great enthusiasm. The temple priests perform various rituals, including the Goti Pahandi (procession of the deities into the temple) and the Pahandi (ceremonial procession), where the deities are carried on beautifully decorated palanquins.

Before entering the main temple, a traditional act between the servitors of Lord Jagannath and Devi Lakshmi takes place at the main gate, known as Jaya Vijaya Door, of the temple.

It is popularly believed that Devi Lakshmi, wife of Lord Jagannath, gets angry as she was left in the Srimandir and was not a part of the Rath Yatra to the Gundicha temple. She only allows Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Sudarshana into the temple and closes the temple gate for Lord Jagannath.

Hence, in order to convince Devi Lakshmi, Lord Jagannath offers rasagolla (a sweet dish made of curd cheese) and requests her to forgive him.

Following this, Lord Jagannath is made to sit beside Devi Lakshmi where a ritual of reunion is rehearsed and finally Lord Jagannath ascends the Ratna Singhasana.

The world-famous Rath Yatra festival of the holy trinity will come to an end with the Niladri Bije ritual today.