With Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Anavasara or hibernation (a 14-day treatment in a hideout) Alarnath, a temple located 25km from Puri, has turned out to be a major site of attraction now.

As the Lord and his siblings fall sick following a lavish bath with 108 pots of specially scented water on Deva Sana Purnima, the devotees head for Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri village as Lord Alaranth is considered to be a manifestation of Lord Jagannath. The devotees believe Lord Jagannath resides there in the form of Lord Alarnath for these 14 days.

The Alarnath temple (a Vaishnav temple) is witnessing thousands of devotees regularly. “It has been a belief that during this period Lord Jagannath manifests as Alarnath Dev, at the Alarnath temple. It gives the devotees the same spiritual joy as
worshipping Lord Jaganath,” said a servitor, Kuna MisThe

The famous 'Khiri' of the Alarnath temple.

Legend has it that the temple has been named after the Alwar royal dynasty of Rajasthan. It is believed that the shrine was established by one of the Alwar rulers and hence named Alwarnath or Alarnath temple. Some say the temple is associated with Alwar saint Ramanujacharya’s visit to Odisha. Carved out of black marble, the idol at the Alarnath temple has four arms holding a conch, a mace, a lotus and a chakra.

An expert, Surya Narayan Rath Sharma, told The Telegraph: “Besides the visit of Alwar saint, as per legend, saint Chaitanya also visited the shrine during the Anavasara period of Lord Jagannath and sought blessings of the deity.”

He continued: “It has become a tradition to pay a visit to Brahmagiri during the fortnight before Rath Yatra to get the same feeling of divine ecstasy as is felt in viewing Lord Jagannath. The hibernation period of Lord Jagannath this year will end on July 6 and deities will embark on a nine-day sojourn on July 7 or the Rath Yatra day.”

The khiri (rice porridge), prepared in the Alarnath shrine as an offering to the deity, is immensely popular among visitors. Khiri sellers wait for this period as it is good business.

“Be it takeaways or sales on the spot, there is a huge demand for the khiri, which is made of rice, sugar, milk and other ingredients. The khiri is even available for ₹20,” said Mitanjali Pradhan, a devotee.

During these 14 days, Lord Jagannath and the deities are in hibernation. “The footfall has come down. All the devotees rush to get the khiri. Sometimes the scrupulous elements take advantage of the sentiments of the devotees. Though no compromise is made on the quality of the khiri, they sell it at a higher price,” said another devotee, Ghanashyam Khatua.