Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Puri Jagannath temple shut 5 hours for Chitalagi Amavasya ritual
A famous temple in the city of Puri is going to be closed for a little while on Wednesday.
The temple is called the Shree Jagannath Temple.
It will close for five hours, from 2 o'clock to 7 o'clock in the afternoon.
The temple is closing so the priests can do a special ceremony.
The ceremony is called Chitalagi Amavasya.
It happens on the new moon day of a month called Sravana.
On this day, the three gods of the temple – Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra, and his sister Devi Subhadra – get gold ornaments placed on their foreheads.
These golden decorations are studded with gems.
The ornaments were taken off before the big chariot festival called Rath Yatra.
People who want to see the gods will have to wait until the ceremony is over.
The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed to devotees for five hours on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The closure is for the special ritual 'Chitalagi Amavasya', observed on the new moon day of the Sravana month.
Public darshan will be suspended from 2 pm to 7 pm, after the first bhoga mandapa offering is completed.
During the ritual, the trinity – Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath – are ceremonially adorned with gem-studded golden chitas on their foreheads.
The golden ornaments had been removed from the idols before the sibling deities came out of the temple for Snan Yatra and the annual Rath Yatra.
- Who
- The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) announced the closure; the ritual involves the trinity Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
- What
- The Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain shut to devotees for five hours for the special Chitalagi Amavasya ritual, during which the deities are adorned with gem-studded golden chitas on their foreheads.
- When
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from 2 pm to 7 pm.
- Where
- Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri.
- Why
- To perform the Chitalagi Amavasya ritual, observed on the new moon day of the Sravana month, in which the trinity is ceremonially adorned with their golden forehead ornaments.
- Temple
- Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri
- Administration
- Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA)
- Closure date
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026
- Closure duration
- 5 hours
- Darshan suspension
- 2 pm to 7 pm
- Ritual
- Chitalagi Amavasya
- Tithi
- Shrabana Krushna Amabasya
- Deities
- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, Lord Jagannath