Adhar Pana ritual performed atop chariots

The Adhar Pana ritual is a special event that happens during the Rath Yatra in Puri, India.

On Sunday, thousands of devotees watched as sweet drink was offered to the deities Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath on their chariots.

The drink is called Adhar Pana, and it is made with milk cream, cheese, sugar, banana, camphor, nutmeg, black pepper, and other spices.

After the drink is offered, the earthen pots are broken, and the sweet drink spills on the chariot floor for the subsidiary deities and spirits to enjoy.

This ritual is believed to quench the thirst of invisible souls and subsidiary deities that accompany the trinity during the Rath Yatra.

The next day, the idols will be carried back to the main temple through a special ritual called Niladri Bije, concluding the annual Rath Yatra.