Devotees at the Puri Jagannath Temple celebrated Gahama Purnima and the birth anniversary of Lord Balabhadra with sacred rituals. Following the noon incense, Goddess Subhadra adorned Lord Balabhadra and Sri Jagannath with massive ritualistic threads known as Rakshi.
Crafted by Patara Vishoyi and affixed by Singari Sevaks, these giant red-and-yellow adornments for Sri Jagannath and blue-and-white Vasuki Naga-symbolizing pieces for Lord Balabhadra rank among the world's largest.
Lord Sudarsan was also ceremoniously taken to four ashrams, while separate birthday celebrations for Balabhadra took place at Markand Pushkarini. Aligned with traditional Tithi calculations, households across the region celebrated the sacred sibling bond, drawing large crowds to local markets.