Darshan has resumed for devotees from the early hours of Monday, July 20.
According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), public darshan remained suspended from 9:00 PM on July 19 until 3:00 AM on July 20, 2026, after the completion of the second Bhoga Mandap offering. The temporary suspension enabled the smooth conduct of one of the most sacred rituals observed during the Deities’ stay at the Gundicha Temple.
What is Adapa Darshan?
Adapa Darshan is the sacred opportunity to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra while they are seated at the Adapa Mandap inside the Gundicha Temple. During the annual Rath Yatra, the Deities stay at the Gundicha Temple for several days after arriving on their chariots from the Shree Jagannath Temple. This special period of worship is known as Adapa Darshan, and devotees consider it highly auspicious to seek the blessings of the Holy Trinity in their temporary abode before the Bahuda Yatra (return chariot festival).
Banakalagi Niti: The Sacred Divine Rejuvenation Ritual
Banakalagi Niti, popularly known as Srimukha Sringara, is a centuries-old ritual in which the divine faces of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are ceremonially repainted using natural herbal colours and traditional ingredients such as kasturi (musk), karpura (camphor), and other sacred herbal extracts.
The ritual is performed exclusively by the Dutta Mohapatra servitors, who have inherited this sacred responsibility through generations.
The ceremony symbolizes the divine restoration and rejuvenation of the Holy Trinity after their ceremonial journey from the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, where the deities are seated at the revered Adapa Mandap during the annual Rath Yatra.
With the completion of Banakalagi Niti, devotees can once again have Adapa Darshan at the Gundicha Temple. Thousands of devotees are expected to visit the Gundicha Temple for Adapa Darshan before the Holy Trinity begins the sacred Bahuda Yatra back to the Shree Jagannath Temple.
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