To mark the Adhar Pana rituals of the Lords, as many as nine pots of sweet drink after their offering to the deities were dumped over the three chariots on Monday evening in Puri.
As the pots broke into pieces, the pious drink spilled over the chariots touching very part of the wooden carts. The sweet drink was dedicated for the evil forces coming with chariots during the Rath Yatra. The liquid is strictly prohibited for human consumption.
But these days, devotees consume it due to ignorance. The motive of the ritual is to please the evil forces accompanying the chariots during the to-and-fro journey of the deities to the Gundicha Temple.
The ethics behind is that the Trinity is kind to all creatures irrespective of their nature and works. This exemplifies equality of all creatures in
the eye of the supreme power.
With a capacity of about 1,000 liter each the earthen pots (three for each chariot), are specially designed by temple potters before the Rath Yatra. Sources said, cost of each pot is around Rs 6,000. As it is very delicate to make and chances of breakage is more, the potters take months to prepare them.
In the past, sizes of the pots used to be huge; these days, smaller ones are used.
On Tuesday, the Niladri Bije will be performed when the Trinity will return to the temple bringing an end to the 12-day fest.