# Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra 'fall ill' after holy dip, Maheshwar temple shuts for a 15-day cure

> After a ritual bath on Snan Purnima, the deities at the Jagannath Dham in Maheshwar, Khargone, are believed to have fallen ill, prompting a Puri-style ayurvedic treatment and a 15-day closure of the temple doors.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Religion · **Published:** 2026-07-04 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/religion/bimara-pare-bhagavana-jagannath-balabhadra-aura-subhadra-15-dina-ke-lie-bnda-hue-maheshwar-ke-pata-4793 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Jagannath Temple Maheshwar, Snan Purnima, Ayurvedic Treatment, Rath Yatra, Khargone, Navyauvan Darshan

At the Jagannath Dham temple in Maheshwar, in Khargone district, devotees are currently unable to have darshan of the deities. After a ritual bath in the waters of the Narmada river on Snan Purnima, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are believed to have fallen ill, and the temple management has shut the doors for 15 days.

## A Puri-style tradition takes root in Maheshwar
The centuries-old ritual observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is now being followed at the Jagannath Dham in Maheshwar as well. After the ceremonial bath, the deities are considered to be running a fever, so they have been moved from the main throne into a special seclusion chamber inside the temple. Only the temple's chief priest is allowed to enter this chamber; entry for all other devotees and staff has been barred.

## Himalayan herbs and a herbal decoction for treatment
To treat the deities, the temple management has specially procured a herb called Kedar Kadwi from the Himalayas. Along with it, herbs such as tulsi, ashwagandha, giloy, punarnava, nutmeg, mace and Lendi pepper have been gathered from nearby forests. The temple's mahant, Hriday Giri Maharaj, personally prepares these herbs. They are first consecrated with chanting of mantras, then ground into a decoction, or kadha. This kadha is being offered to the deities as medicine twice a day, morning and evening.

## No more the 56-dish feast, only a liquid diet
During this period of illness, the offerings made to the deities have also been completely changed. Instead of the daily Chappan Bhog, the traditional 56-dish offering, and regular prasad, the deities are now being given only kadha, saffron-almond milk and fresh fruit juice. In effect, the deities are currently on a completely liquid diet, much like a sick person is given light, liquid food.

## A special cooling paste to bring down the fever
According to mahant Hriday Giri Maharaj, a special cooling paste is also being applied to give the deities relief from fever. The paste is made using real musk, Malayagiri sandalwood, Multani mitti, honey, rose water, turmeric and camphor. It is applied to the deities' foreheads and bodies to reduce the heat and provide coolness, much the way a cold cloth is placed on a person's forehead during a high fever.

## An empty sanctum, with only the priest in charge
During this 15-day seclusion, the entire atmosphere of the temple has changed. The sanctum sanctorum is silent, the doors are closed to devotees, and the entire responsibility of the deities' care, medicine and rest rests solely with the chief priest and the temple management.

## Darshan in Navyauvan form on July 15, chariot procession on July 16
Hriday Giri Maharaj said that once the deities recover, they will appear before devotees in their Navyauvan, or youthful, form on July 15. This will be followed by the Shodashopachar Puja, after which, on July 16, the deities will be seated on a chariot and taken out for a procession through the town. Devotees in Maheshwar are eagerly awaiting this chariot procession.

## What this means for you
- **Across India:** The Anasara tradition followed at Puri's Jagannath Temple is also observed at several Jagannath temples nationwide, so devotees elsewhere can use this as a cue for similar darshan and Rath Yatra timings.
- **In Khargone-Maheshwar:** Local devotees will not get direct darshan of the deities in the sanctum for the next 15 days, and will need to wait for the Navyauvan darshan on July 15 and the chariot procession on July 16.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why are Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra said to have fallen ill?
After a ritual bath in the waters of the Narmada on Snan Purnima, the deities are believed to have fallen ill, following which the temple doors were closed.

### 2. How long will the Jagannath Dham in Maheshwar remain closed?
The doors have been closed for 15 days while the deities undergo ayurvedic treatment.

### 3. What herbs are being used in the treatment?
A Himalayan herb called Kedar Kadwi is being used along with tulsi, ashwagandha, giloy, punarnava, nutmeg, mace and Lendi pepper gathered from nearby forests.

### 4. What are the deities being offered as food right now?
Instead of the Chappan Bhog, they are currently being given only kadha, saffron-almond milk and fresh fruit juice.

### 5. What cooling paste is being applied to bring down the fever?
A paste made of real musk, Malayagiri sandalwood, Multani mitti, honey, rose water, turmeric and camphor is applied to the deities' foreheads and bodies.

### 6. When and how will the deities appear before devotees again?
According to mahant Hriday Giri Maharaj, the deities will appear in Navyauvan form on July 15, and after the Shodashopachar Puja, will be taken out in a chariot procession through the town on July 16.

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