Puri Jagannath Temple Remain Closed for Chitalagi Amabasya Ritual Today

Puri Odisha: Puri Jagannath Temple remains closed for public darshan today, Aug 12, 2026, for five hours to observe the special Chitalagi Amabasya ritual. According to the temple administration, public darshan will remain suspended from 2 PM to 7 PM.

The temple servitors will observe the Chitalagi Amabasya Ritual on the sacred occasion of Shrabana Krishna Amabasya. Following the daily morning rituals, Dhupa ritual and the first Bhoga Mandapa offering, the temple temporarily shuts down the public darshan.

During the ritual, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Subhadra Devi will be adorned with special ornaments. A special golden ornament known as Chita, or Chiti, will be placed on the forehead of the Deities.

These ornaments are removed from the Deities before they come out of the temple for the Snana Yatra and world famous Ratha Yatra. They are stored safely in the temple storehouse. To perform Chitalagi niti on Chitalagi Amabasya, the ornaments are taken out of the storehouse and ritually adorned on the forehead of the deities.

The Sree Jagannath Temple Adminsitration (SJTA) has advised devotees who wish to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath during this period to take note of this temporary suspension and plan their visit accordingly. Normal public darshan will resume after completion of the ritual after 7 PM.

Chitalagi Amavasya holds immense religious and cultural significance in Odisha and is observed with devotion in Puri and other parts of the state. The festival also forms an important part of the annual ritual calendar associated with Lord Jagannath.