Doors to the sanctum sanctorum of Digha’s newly inaugurated Jagannath Dham temple will remain closed for visitors after June 12 as part of Rath Yatra preparations. Rath Yatra will be celebrated in Odisha, West Bengal and other parts of India on June 27, which as per Bengali calendar falls in the month of Ashadh.

Jagannath Dev’s Snan Yatra ceremony will be performed on June 12 after which the three idols will be unavailable for ‘Darshan’ for the masses until Rath Yatra as per the festival’s tradition.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to attend Rath Yatra celebrations commencing from the Jagannath temple in Digha, Purba Medinipur district.

As per a visitor count revealed by Digha Jagannath Dham authorities, the temple has witnessed a footfall of 40 lakh visitors ever since its inauguration on April 30.

56 Bhog will not be served during this period

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Vice-President Radharaman Das has said as per traditions, it is believed that after taking bath on ‘Snan Yatra’, Jagannath Dev falls sick, so he is kept in isolation temporarily till Rath Yatra just like we used to live in quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even Jagannath Dev’s Chhappan Bhog (56 Bhog) will not be served during this period.

Rath Yatra preparations in full swing in Digha

A temple located near Digha Police Station is being designed as Lord Jagannath’s ‘Mashir Bari’ maternal aunt’s house where the chariots are stationed till “Ulto Rath” or the return journey of the chariots to the temple from which it originated. The aunt’s house temple infrastructure reportedly costs almost Rs 75 lakhs. The idols which will be placed on the chariot for Rath Yatra are made of Neem wood.

The Jagannath Dham temple at Digha has a total of eight gates. The three chariots belonging to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are being decorated ahead of the festival and currently placed near gates 6 and 7.