Puri Rath Yatra ceremonies

The 2026 Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha began with early‑month healing rituals, where priests applied a specially prepared Phuluri oil to the wooden idols of Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra as part of the Anasara rites. The ceremony also highlighted the temple’s 22‑step ascent, symbolising spiritual progress.

By the end of July, the festival moved to its concluding phase. The deities, dressed in the golden Suna Besha, received the Adhara Pana offering—a sweet, spiced milk drink poured onto the chariots and then broken to satiate attendant spirits. The final Niladri Bije on 27 July marked the return of the deities to the main sanctum and featured a symbolic reconciliation with Goddess Lakshmi, accompanied by rasagollas as an apology. Together, the snapshots trace the progression of the Rath Yatra from its medicinal and symbolic rituals to its climactic concluding ceremonies.