For 14 Days Every Year, Lord Jagannath Falls Ill at This Varanasi Temple and Is Treated With a Secret Kadha

At the Jagannath dham in Kashi, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra fall ill every year during the month of Ashadh, and priests treat them for 14 days with a secretly prepared Ayurvedic kadha whose prasad draws large crowds of devotees.

On the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi stands the dham of Lord Jagannath, regarded as the country's second oldest Jagannath temple. Its most unusual tradition is a miraculous kadha that is offered to Lord Jagannath every year while he is unwell. Inside the temple's sanctum sanctorum, priests prepare this kadha in complete secrecy, and it is this very kadha that is used to treat the ailing deity.

14 days of illness and seclusion
From Ashadh Krishna Pratipada to the Chaturdashi tithi, a full 14 days, Lord Jagannath remains unwell along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. During this period, all three are offered the Ayurvedic kadha daily to help them recover. For these 14 days, the deities stay in complete seclusion and the temple's doors remain shut. Even so, devotees do not stop coming to the temple hoping to receive the prasad of this kadha.

The secret behind the miraculous kadha
According to the temple's head priest, Radheshyam, it is believed that any devotee who drinks this kadha continuously for all 14 days is freed from every kind of physical ailment and stays disease free, or nirog, for the entire year. This is why crowds of devotees gather at the temple every evening to receive the kadha as prasad. The priest says Lord Jagannath's kadha is packed with medicinal properties and is prepared using cloves, cardamom, black pepper, bay leaf, jaggery, tulsi, mulethi and several other ingredients. Special care is taken to maintain purity while preparing it, and only the priest, working in secrecy, prepares the kadha and offers it to Lord Jagannath.

Recovery with parwal juice, then the Rath Yatra
After drinking the kadha continuously for 14 days, Lord Jagannath fully recovers on the final day by drinking parwal, or pointed gourd, juice. Following this, as part of the manpher ritual, he is carried on a palanquin for a procession around the town. The day after this town procession, the Rath Yatra is taken out. For the next three days, Lord Jagannath stays among his devotees and listens to their wishes.

What this means for you
• Across India: The ritual highlights how Ayurvedic remedies remain woven into Jagannath worship nationwide, especially in the run-up to the Rath Yatra each Ashadh.
• In Varanasi: Local devotees can visit the temple in the evening for the kadha prasad, but should note the temple doors stay closed during the 14-day seclusion period, which is worth keeping in mind when planning a visit.

Questions & Answers

1. For how many days does Lord Jagannath remain ill?
Lord Jagannath stays unwell for a full 14 days, from Ashadh Krishna Pratipada to the Chaturdashi tithi.

2. Who else falls ill along with Lord Jagannath during this period?
His brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra also remain unwell alongside him during these 14 days.

3. What ingredients go into the kadha?
According to the priest, it is prepared using cloves, cardamom, black pepper, bay leaf, jaggery, tulsi, mulethi and other ingredients.

4. Who prepares the kadha and how?
Only the temple priest prepares it in secrecy inside the sanctum, taking special care to maintain purity.

5. What benefit do devotees believe they get from drinking the kadha?
It is believed that a devotee who drinks the kadha for all 14 days is freed from physical ailments and stays disease free for the whole year.

6. How does Lord Jagannath recover after the 14 days?
On the final day, he recovers by drinking parwal juice, after which he is taken on a palanquin for a procession around the town.

7. What happens after the town procession?
The Rath Yatra is held the very next day, and for three days after that Lord Jagannath stays among devotees, listening to their wishes.

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