Puri Rath Yatra concludes with Adhara Pana ritual and Niladri Bije

The annual Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, entered its final phase on 26–27 July 2026. After the deities were adorned with the Suna Besha (golden attire), the sacred Adhara Pana ritual was performed on the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. A sweet drink made from milk, cheese, cream, bananas, camphor, nutmeg, black pepper and other spices was poured into large earthen pots that touched the deities' lips; the pots were then broken to quench the thirst of guardian spirits and invisible attendants. Thousands, and at times lakhs, of devotees gathered at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, braving rain to witness the ceremony.

The ritual precedes the Niladri Bije on 27 July, when the deities return to the main sanctum. The ceremony includes the symbolic reconciliation between Lord Jagannath and Goddess Lakshmi, during which rasagollas are offered as an apology, marking the final emotional moment of the nine‑day pilgrimage.