Puri: Like we mortals, Goddess Subhadra ties rakhis, the thread of love and trust on her two brothers – Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan- at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Keeping with the tradition Patara servitors prepare ‘Pata Rakhi’ which Goddess Subhadra ties to Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath.
“While a blue and purple rakhi is offered to Lord Balabhadra a red and yellow one is offered to Lord Jagannath. The Lords are also offered two ‘Guamala’ (garland of areca nuts) each. Each guamala has 54 areca nuts. The rakhis are prepared using Basunga Pata,” said Jagannath Patara, a servitor making rakhis for the Lords.
Patara servitors cut the coloured cloths and sew them in concentric circles one atop another with the lowest disc being the largest.
“On Raksha Bandhan, a sister ties Rakhi, the thread of protection on her brother’s wrist praying for his long life, prosperity, fame. Goddess Subhadra also ties Rakhi to Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra. The Rakhi, made by the Patara servitors, for Lord Jagannatha is the biggest in the world,” said Suryanarayan Rathasharma, a researcher on Jagannath culture.
