Bhubaneswar, June 1: The stage is set for the deities of Jagannath temple in Puri to go into hibernation after the grand bath ceremony of snana purnima tomorrow.

This year, it will also lead to the changing of the idols, and till then, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra cannot be visible in their regular form. Instead devotees can worship patti dian or the deities on the patta chitra that will be installed in the sanctum during this period.

The images of Lord Jagannath and His siblings will be worshipped during the time the deities are taken to a secret place for cure during anasara (hibernation).

The patta chitra paintings of the deities are created on freshly prepared tussar cloth created by artists of the chitrakar clan. Artists begin the paintings a fortnight prior to the snana purnima, when new pieces of silk are soaked in water and made into a double-layered canvas.

"We are guided by the chief artists of the chitrakar servitors - Budha Moharana and Ananta Moharana," said Debadutta Moharana, an artist.

The artists create the deities' images referring to age-old practice. The colours to be used are prepared from natural elements. The representative images of Ananta Narayan, Ananta Basudev and Bhubaneswari stand for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, respectively. A smaller Narayan painting is also made to replace the Patitpaban idol just inside the entrance to the temple during the hibernation period.

Each of the patta paintings is created on a 5.5-feet long and four-feet wide cloth. The paintings include images of the male deities with moustaches and beard whereas the female goddess holds various articles in her four hands though the Subhadra idol does not sport limbs.

The deities are shown in traditional forms and attires. The patti dian will be worshipped in the sanctum till the new idols are installed during Nabakalebar this year. After that the paintings would be put up at the Basudev temple near Sakhigopal.