Puri: A day after the completion of Suna Besha ritual of the holy trinity on Wednesday, the ‘Adhara Pana’ ritual will be held on the chariots in front of Singhadwara of Srimandir today.
This interesting ritual of Adhara Pana, which literally translates as Adhara – Lip and Pana – Juice, is performed on the 11th day (Ekadasi). The three deities are offered a refreshing drink named as ‘Adhara Pana’.
Adhara Pana is a sweet scented drink made of milk, sugar, cheese, banana, camphor, nuts, black pepper etc. Apart from these ingredients, other herbal plant extracts like tulasi (holy basil) are also mixed into the drink. The deities are offered Adhara Pana on huge cylindrical earthen pots.
The drink gets filled in nine earthen pots and each of the deities was offered three pots each on their respective chariot.
The priests offer the drink to the deities by performing ‘Sodosha Upachara Pooja’.
Once the Puja gets over the earthen pots are broken by the servitors and the Pana spreads all over the chariot. It is believed that several evil spirits, ghostly bodies and dissatisfied souls trail the deities during the Car Festival.
As per the ritual, the Adhara Pana is not for the devotees and servitors but it is only for Parsva Devatas to guard the chariots during Ratha Yatra.
Thereafter the pots are smashed on the chariots purposefully because the drink is not for the consumption by the devotees and also to ensure that all these invisible forces and Parsva Devatas consume the Adhara Pana and get satisfied.
The Ratha Yatra will come to an end tomorrow. The deities return to their seats, Ratna Singhasana in a ritual known as Niladri Bije.
Ms Kalinga