Puri: The Servitors of Sri Jaganath temple have dressed lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister devi Subhadra with warm clothes on the occasion of Ghodalagi or Odhanasthi.
The function is observed to mark the beginning of the winter.
Three set of dressers dress the deities with head gears made of wool and cotton, velvet blankets to cover the deities to protect them from cold.
As per tradition the colour of the warm dresses keep changing every day of the week as per the ruling star of the day. Each star as per the temple almanac was identified with a specific colour.
On Monday colour of the dress was gray, Tuesday a typical dress blended with five different colours called Barapatia, Wednesday blue, yellow on Thursday, Friday white, black on the Saturday and red cloths used on the Sunday.
Every afternoon after offering of bhog the servitors dress the lord Jagannath his elder Balabhadra and sister devi Subhadra in warm clothes.
This practice is repeated every day from “Odhana Sasthi to Basanta Panchami”(Saraswati Puja), said the dressers.
The colours were prescribed according to the ruling stars and planets of the particular day.
During the day time lords use their routine dresses but in the evening they were covered up with warm dresses.
Taking clue from this practice in temple many devotees also imitate deities while using warm clothes.
Every year hundreds of devotees witness this colourful winter vesha of the deities. (UNI)