Puri deities offered Adhar Pana in nine huge pots
Adhar Pana, a rich drink, was offered to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra late in the evening on Sunday while they were on board the chariots.
Huge earthen pots full of the holy drink were then smashed on the chariots, which according to a belief, the deities dedicate for the salvation of the evil spirits and ghosts, which follow the deities on the chariots during the Rath Yara.
As per a ritual, one-metre high nine large open mouth barrel-shaped pitchers full of the drinks were placed before the three deities on the chariots (three each) which touched the lips of the deities. The drinks are popularly called adharpana. The priests through a complex set of rituals offered the drink. After the offerings late in the night, the earthen pitchers were smashed on the chariots spilling the entire drink on the floor of the decks.
A large number of devotees assembled near the three chariots eagerly waiting to get the holy drink. As soon as the pots were smashed and the holy liquid spilled away, many devotees collected it from the under belly of the chariots. The deities would remain on the chariots till Monday and would enter into the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple on Monday night in a ceremonial Pahandi procession to be conducted by the Daita servitors.
Before entering into the temple, the deities would be offered Rosgulla bhog. This is the only occasion in a year when the deities are offered the Rosgulla bhog.
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