The sacred Panchuka Brata, an integral part of the holy Kartika month, began in the pilgrim town of Puri on Sunday with thousands of devotees offering prayers at the revered Shree Jagannath Temple amid heightened security arrangements. This year, Panchuka Brata is being observed for four days instead of the traditional five due to the occurrence of Kshaya Tithi (lunar day omission) on Kartika Shukla Dwadashi. The rituals are being performed from Kartika Ekadashi to Kartika Purnima, marking one of the most spiritually significant periods in the Odia calendar.

Special arrangements have been made inside the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to accommodate the heavy influx of devotees. While the sacred inner sanctum darshan, known as Bhitar Kaatha, remains suspended during this period, devotees are permitted to enter the temple through the Singhadwara or Lion Gate and exit through the remaining three gates to ensure smooth movement and crowd management.

With massive gatherings expected throughout Panchuka, the district administration has deployed 32 platoons of police personnel in and around the temple premises and key locations across Puri. The security measures are aimed at maintaining law and order, ensuring the safety of devotees, and facilitating a peaceful environment for the observance of rituals.

Panchuka Brata holds immense religious and spiritual importance for Lord Jagannath’s devotees. It marks the final and most sacred phase of Kartika month, during which devotees abstain from non-vegetarian food, engage in prayers, charity, and acts of devotion. The temple rituals during this period are conducted with utmost sanctity and grandeur, attracting devotees not only from across Odisha but also from neighboring states who come to seek divine blessings from Lord Jagannath.

The commencement of Panchuka Brata in Puri thus symbolizes devotion, purity, and spiritual awakening, making the Jagannath Temple the focal point of faith and reverence during this auspicious time.