Puri: The ‘Shodasha Upachara’ (sixteen-step ritual) worship has commenced at the temple of Goddess Mangala in Kakatpur on the second day of Navratri. As part of the rituals, Amisha Bhoga a (non-vegetarian offering) was offered to the Goddess Mangala on Monday.In accordance with tradition, the non-vegetarian offering is prepared on a special hearth within the Goddess’s kitchen.The servitors of teh deity called as ‘Suar’ fries the fish, which is provided by the Mangala Temple Trust Board and places it on a brass plate. Subsequently, with a cloth tied over his mouth, he carries the fish offering by hand directly from the kitchen to the sanctum sanctorum.Then the priest offers it to the deity Banadurga, whose idol is situated near the feet of Goddess Mangala. Afterward, the servitor brings the fish offering back to the kitchen. This tradition has been observed since time immemorial.
Puri: ‘Amisha Bhoga’ offered to Goddess Mangala in Kakatpur
