Adhara Pana Ritual To Mark The End of Nine Day Devine Sojourn of The Trinity

Puri: With the Suna Besha of the deities having been conducted with much pomp and gaiety yesterday in the presence of lakhs of devotees, today is the day for the deities to take the Adhara Pana or the Sweet Drink. On the auspicious occasion of Asadha Shukla Pakhya Dwadashi tithi, the Adhara Pana drink is offered to the deities o the three chariots standing in front of the Singha Dwara.

Adhara Pana is a combination of two words – Adhara meaning Lips and Pana meaning sweet drink. Following centuries old traditions, the Deities on the three Chariots are offered this Adhara Pana in specially made large earthen pots that reach up to the lips of the deities – and hence the name Adhara Pana. The specially prepared drink is filled in the earthen pots by the servitors and served to the trinity on the chariots. The ritual is conducted on the next day of the Suna Besha and the day before the Niladri Bije.

The Nine earthen pitchers are specially made by the Bada Odia Matha and Raghava Das Matha in a rotation basis and all the ingredients required are supplied by the Temple Administration. The three deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra along with their chalanti/bije pratima are offered the Adhara Pana which is a mixture of nine ingredients – Milk, Cream, Cheese, Sugar, Banana, Camphor, Water, Black Pepper and Nutmeg.

The water required for making the Adhara Pana is taken from the Chhauni Matha near the Singha Dwara by the Pani Apata servitors. They collectively bring the water from the well using small brass containers and take it to each Chariots. A huge brass container on each Chariot are used to mix the drink. The Mahasuara servitors mix all the nine ingredients in these huge brass containers to prepare the Adhara Pana. The final mix is Adhara Pana and which is transferred to the earthen pots kept on the chariots to be offered to the deities.

According to tradition, the Adhara Pana is served to the deities after the ‘Madhyanna Dhoopa’ niti. Puja Panda servitors offer the Adhara Pana to the Deities by performing ‘Sodosha Upachar Pooja’. After the Adhara Pana has been offered to the Deities, the earthen pots are broken by the servitors and the drink spills all over the Chariots. The breaking of the earthen pots on the Chariots is done as it is belied that the spill over Adhara Pana is for the Parswa Devatas that are on the chariots who guard Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra during their Ratha Yatra. It is also believed that, many evil spirits wait for this day to consume the spill over Adhara Pana. The Adhara Pana which spills over the Chariots after breaking of the earthen pots by the servitors is not meant for the devotees and servitors.