Sevayats busy making poda pitha that would be offered to Lord Jagannath during his return journey and (above) the goddess at Mausima temple. Pictures by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, June 27: The time has come for the divine siblings to embark on the bahuda yatra or the return journey to their holy abode at the Jagannath temple.

With only a day remaining for them to leave Gundicha temple, the Mausima temple that comes midway, is preparing for a special ritual for the lords.

A treat of poda pitha is offered from the Goddess of this temple to the deities on their way home on the bahuda yatra. As a result, the servitors here can be seen working overtime baking these pithas with utmost love and care.

The ritual of offering poda pitha from Mausima is an old tradition and Raghunath Dash’s family in the city has been preparing the special country cake since generations. This year too, the family members are busy baking Lord Jagannath’s favourite pitha.

“Our family, since ages, has been preparing the poda pitha offered to the three deities during bahuda yatra when their chariots reach the Mausima temple. We make the pithas on behalf of the presiding deity of the Mausima temple — Goddess Ardhasini — who welcomes her nephews and niece just like Odia women do by preparing special pithas for them,” said Dash.

“Since poda pitha is believed to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite sweet dish, this is the item chosen to offer the deities,” he said.

The poda pitha preparations begin on Hera Panchami and continue till the bahuda yatra eve.

Dash and his family members make the Odia delicacy with a lot of care.

They first prepare a dough of cottage cheese, wheat flour, sugar, cardamom, raisins, pista and pure ghee. This is then stuffed in a double-layered airtight metal container that has water in between the two layers of metal.

After steaming the dough in this container for around eight hours, the mix is cooled for the following six hours.

The brownish red steamed dough is then cut into pieces and fried in pure ghee.

“We prepare one pitha everyday. The process of steaming is conducted at night and the cooling begins in the morning.

“Since we ensure the pitha is prepared in the best and most authentic way, each pitha almost consumes one day,” said Das, adding that four pithas are offered to the three deities.

After the deities relish the delicacy, the consecrated pithas are first offered to the Puri king.

“Since the king is the first and foremost servitor of the lords, he has the right over the prasad first.

So, we make sure that the pithas reach him immediately after the deities have them,” said Dash.