PURI: The month-long Kartik Brata rituals at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will begin on October 22 and continue until November 24, following the ritual schedule finalised by the Chhatisha Nijog, the apex body of temple servitors, at a meeting on Wednesday.
Puri Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida said the temple doors would be opened at 4 am every day during the holy month. The daily schedule will be followed by the special Radha-Damodar Besha of Lord Jagannath from 6.30 am to 7.30 am. The special Bala Dhupa ritual will also be performed during the period. The Harihara Besha of the sibling deities is scheduled for November 16, he said.
This year, the Panchuka Brata, observed during the final days of Kartik, will be held for four days instead of the usual five owing to Tithi Kshaya, or the loss of a lunar day. Consequently, the Bankachuda Besha of Lord Jagannath will not be performed because of the loss of the Dwadashi Tithi, the Collector informed.
