Traditional healers prepare phuluri tela to cure sick deities at the Jagannath temple in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, June 17: The Trinity are unwell ever since they were given a grand bath on deba snana purnima last week to beat the scorching heat.

The traditional healers, who have been assigned the duty of curing the deities, will begin a special treatment from Wednesday onwards for the effective healing of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.

The healers use herbal methods to cure various ailments such as cold and strong fever of the deities.

The unique method to begin now is the phuluri tela seva in which a special lotion is provided to the deities, who are being treated at a secret place on the temple premises.

After the deities are massaged with this oily lotion every day, it is believed they get cured sooner.

“It takes the deities a fortnight to be completely cured, and hence, they are secretly treated during this period of hibernation called anasara. The fever does not recede after applying the initial methods. Every year, therefore, we turn to the phuluri oil that is prepared one year before and left to brew till the coming year when the deities fall sick again,” said a traditional healer of the deities from the Bada Odia mutt where the medicines are prepared.

All the ingredients used in the medicine are natural elements, mainly flowers such as ketaki, malli, boula, champa, kia; barks and roots such as benachara, sesame oil, sandalwood powder, camphor, rice grains and so on.

Apart from the phuluri tela, other medicinal lotions are also applied for the recovery of the deities. This is collectively called osa lagi.

“The osa lagi process will continue till the nabami when simultaneously the wheel of the chariots is attached to the chassis. We use herbal medicines following the instructions mentioned in the ancient texts of the temple,” said chief servitor of the temple Jagannath Swain Mohapatra.

“We use only traditional healing methods, and hence, all medicines and lotions to heal the Trinity use herbs, roots and flowers in the preparation. We collect the necessary flowers from private gardens as well as from among the collection of herbal plants in the mutts (monasteries) in the city and people gladly help us,” a healer said.

This year, the deities will be healed by June 28 following which they would begin their annual trip to their aunt’s house on rath yatra, the next day.