Servitors prepare the medicinal oil phuluri tela in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, June 10: The deities of the Jagannath temple in Puri have taken ill after a luxurious bath on Debasnana Purnima to beat the scorching heat.

The divine siblings are now battling a strong fever and are being cured at a secret place on the temple premises. The servitors of the temple have begun the special phuluri tela seva — a unique healing method — to cure the deities effectively.

The treatment of the deities is always done with herbal medicines during the entire fortnight of ansara or hibernation every year before rath yatra. Phuluri tela is one of the important medicines used in the process of healing the gods. This special oil used during the hibernation of the ailing deities, is prepared on Hera Panchami — the fifth day of the rath yatra festival — to be applied on the idols during the following year’s hibernation. This year the treatment with the oil began on Saturday.

A wide range of 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 many other ingredients are used while making the phuluri, which is prepared by the Bada Odia Matha in Puri.

The healers at the monastery are assigned with the duty of preparing this special ointment.

“We use only traditional healing methods and hence all medicines and lotions to heal Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra 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 mathas (monasteries) in the city and people gladly help us,” said a member of the Bada Odia Matha.

Apart from the phuluri tela, other medicinal lotions are also being applied from Sunday onwards for the recovery of the deities. These services are termed as Osa lagi.

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

The deities are expected to recover and be fit by June 20 following which the rath yatra will be held the next day.