Events & Festivals
Explore the temple's annual calendar, from major Jagannatha celebrations to regular pujas, ceremonies, and community gatherings.
Calendar
September 2026
Sept
4
Srikrushna Janmastami
4 September 2026
Srikrushna Janmastami celebrates the divine birth of Lord Sri Krishna — the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu — who descended to restore dharma and shower boundless love upon the world. Devotees observe fasts through the day and celebrate at midnight with offerings of panchamrita, butter, and sweets dear to Govinda. In Odia Vaishnava theology, Lord Jagannatha is revered as the supreme manifestation of Lord Krishna — Purushottama, the greatest of all beings — making this day especially profound for his devotees.
Sept
14
Ganesh Puja, Bali Tritiya
14 September 2026
Ganesh Puja celebrates Lord Ganesha — the remover of obstacles and lord of new beginnings — with offerings of modak and durva grass, and heartfelt prayers for wisdom and success. Bali Tritiya is a distinctly Odia observance on the third day following Ganesh Chaturthi, in which special ritual offerings are made and the festive period is brought to a joyful communal conclusion. Together these days weave the pan-Hindu celebration of Ganesha with a uniquely Odia expression of devotion.
Sept
17
Biswakarma Puja and Kanya Sankranti
17 September 2026
Biswakarma Puja honours Vishwakarma — the divine architect and master craftsman of the gods, credited with building Lanka, Dwarka, and the celestial vehicles of the devas. On this day, artisans, craftspeople, and workers worship their tools and instruments, offering gratitude for the skills of their livelihood. Kanya Sankranti marks the solar transition as the sun enters Virgo, observed with ritual bathing and prayers — and holds special significance as Vishwakarma is invoked in the sacred Nabakalebara ceremony, the renewal of the wooden forms of the deities.
Sept
19
Radhashtami (Radha Pada Darshana)
19 September 2026
Radhashtami celebrates the appearance of Srimati Radharani — the embodiment of supreme devotion and divine love, the shakti of Lord Sri Krishna — on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra month. Radha Pada Darshana — the blessed sight of Radha's divine feet — is considered especially auspicious, when devotees offer prayers, flowers, and their hearts in complete surrender to her transcendent love. The Odia Vaishnava tradition has been profoundly shaped by the great saint-poet Jayadeva's Gita Govinda — recited daily at the Puri temple — placing Radha at the very heart of supreme prema bhakti.
Sept
26
Indu Purnima, Bhagabata Janma
26 September 2026
Indu Purnima — the full moon of Ashwin month — is celebrated in Odia tradition as a night of divine luminosity and devotion. Bhagabata Janma marks the auspicious occasion of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, observed with communal readings, devotional kirtans, and the offering of lamps in the sacred moonlight. The Odia Bhagavata of the great poet-saint Atibadi Jagannatha Dasa is among the most revered texts in Odia literature, and this occasion honours scripture itself as a living divine presence.
Calendar
October 2026
Oct
21
Bijayadasami, Dussehera, Mahaprabhu Raja Rajeswara Suna Besa
21 October 2026
Bijayadasami — the tenth day of victory — celebrates Lord Rama's triumph over Ravana: the eternal victory of dharma over adharma and light over darkness. At the Shree Jagannatha Temple Sydney, this day is doubly blessed as Lord Jagannatha is adorned in the magnificent Raja Rajeswara Suna Besa — the King of Kings Gold Dress — appearing in all his golden splendour for the delight of his devotees. The Suna Besa is one of the most spectacular sacred Beshas of the Puri Trinity, in which the Lord is covered in elaborate gold ornaments, transforming him into the image of Raja Rajeswara, the supreme sovereign ruler of the universe.
Oct
25
Gajalaxmi Puja
25 October 2026
Gajalaxmi Puja honours Mother Lakshmi as she appears flanked by two royal elephants who ceremonially bathe her — an ancient and beloved iconographic form enshrined in Vedic literature. She is the bestower of wealth, royal fortune, and all forms of prosperity, worshipped with lotus flowers, lamps, and sweets. Goddess Mahalakshmi holds supreme importance in Puri temple theology as the presiding consort of Lord Jagannatha, residing in her own Lakshmi Mandir adjacent to the main sanctum.
Oct
26
Kumara Purnima
26 October 2026
Kumara Purnima is one of the most beloved and exclusively Odia festivals — celebrated on the full moon of Kartika when the moon rises in full glory on a cool autumn evening. Young women and unmarried girls worship the moon and the divine Kumara — Lord Kartikeya — with songs, dances, and offerings of flowers and lamps, praying for a virtuous companion and a life of devotion. Kumara Purnima is uniquely and distinctly Odia — not observed in this form elsewhere in India — making it a treasured marker of Odia cultural and religious identity.
Calendar
November 2026
Nov
7
Dhanwantari Jayanti and Dhanteras
7 November 2026
Dhanwantari Jayanti celebrates the birth of Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician and god of Ayurveda. Dhanteras marks the beginning of the five-day Diwali celebrations.
Nov
8
Shyamakali Puja and Deepavali
8 November 2026
Deepavali — the Festival of Lights — celebrated with lamps, fireworks, sweets, and prayers to Goddess Lakshmi. Shyamakali Puja honours the fierce and protective form of the Goddess.
Nov
24
Kartika Purnima, Boita Bandana Utsava
24 November 2026
Kartika Purnima — the full moon of the sacred month of Kartika — is one of the most spiritually luminous nights in the Odia calendar, also celebrated as Deva Diwali, the Diwali of the gods. The Boita Bandana tradition sees families gather before dawn to float small boats made of banana stems with tiny lamps — honouring Odisha's ancient maritime heritage when Sadhabas set sail to Southeast Asia, carrying trade, culture, and the grace of Lord Jagannatha across the seas. At the Puri Jagannatha Temple, Kartika Purnima also marks one of only five annual occasions when Lord Jagannatha appears in the magnificent Suna Besa (Gold Dress).
Calendar
January 2027
Jan
14
Makara Sankranti, Uttarayana
14 January 2027
Makara Sankranti marks the sun's northward journey (Uttarayana) as it enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn — one of the most auspicious solar transitions in the Hindu calendar, celebrated with sacred baths, harvest offerings, and communal joy. In Odisha, the festival centres on Makara Chaula — the offering of freshly harvested uncooked rice, coconut, banana, sugarcane, and sweet pitha to the deity, giving thanks for the earth's abundance. At the Puri Jagannatha Temple, the deities receive the Makara Chaula Bhoga in an elaborate first-fruit ceremony, and devotees await the legendary Makara Tara — a celestial light on the eastern horizon — with wonder and devotion.
Calendar
February 2027
Feb
11
Rathakatha Anukula Puja
11 February 2027
Rathakatha Anukula Puja is an auspicious inaugural worship marking the formal beginning of devotional recitations and community preparations associated with Lord Jagannatha's divine chariot and the sacred Ratha Jatra journey. It is an occasion for devotees to gather in prayerful community, invoke divine grace, and surrender the entire sacred endeavour into the hands of Mahaprabhu himself. This observance beautifully begins the community's journey toward the great festival, building devotional momentum and inviting the Lord's guiding grace from the very start.
Feb
20
Shree Jew Gaja Uddharana Besha and Magha Purnima
20 February 2027
On the full moon of Magha month, Lord Jagannatha (Shree Jew — the beloved Odia name meaning the Dear Living Lord) is adorned in the moving Gaja Uddharana Besha, commemorating the liberation of Gajendra the elephant devotee from the grip of a crocodile, as told in the Gajendra Moksha of the Bhagavata Purana. Devotees behold the Lord in this form and contemplate the infinite mercy of Mahaprabhu — who rushes to the aid of any soul who calls upon him in complete surrender, just as Gajendra lifted a lotus flower and cried Narayana! in total helplessness. The Gaja Uddharana Besha is one of the sacred named Beshas in which Lord Jagannatha at Puri is ceremonially dressed to evoke a specific divine lila.
Calendar
March 2027
Mar
6
Maha Shivaratri
6 March 2027
Maha Shivaratri — the Great Night of Lord Shiva — is one of the most sacred nights in the Hindu year, when devotees keep an all-night vigil, chant Om Namah Shivaya, observe a strict fast, and offer bilva leaves, milk, and flowers to the Shivalinga. It is a night of profound spiritual depth when Shiva's grace flows abundantly, and communities gather to chant and remain awake in loving remembrance through the sacred hours until dawn. In the Odia Jagannatha tradition, the great Panchasakha saints taught that Jagannatha embodies the unity of Shiva and Vishnu (Harihara), reflecting the all-encompassing theology of Mahaprabhu's abode.
Mar
21
Dola Purnima and Holi
21 March 2027
Dola Purnima is the occasion for Dola Jatra — one of the most joyful festivals in the Jagannatha tradition, when the Lord is placed upon a decorated palanquin and celebrated with abira (sacred coloured powder), flowers, music, and devotional singing. Coinciding with Holi, this is a day of divine lila when the boundary between devotee and deity dissolves in joy, colour, and the irresistible ananda (bliss) of Mahaprabhu. At the Puri Jagannatha Temple, the processional images of the deities are carried through the streets while the air fills with abira and the sound of drums.
Archive
Past events
Previous festivals and ceremonies are kept here for reference and do not link to active event detail pages.
Past Calendar
August 2026
Aug
28
Gamha Purnima, Rakhi Bandhan, Badathakura Balabhadra Jayanti
28 August 2026
Gamha Purnima falls on the full moon of Sravana and is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Balabhadra — Shri Jagannatha's elder brother, lovingly known as Badathakura (the Elder Lord). On this auspicious day, cattle are ritually bathed and worshipped in gratitude for their service, and siblings honour their bonds through the sacred tying of the rakhi thread. Devotees offer special prayers to Lord Balabhadra and seek his blessings of strength, protection, and brotherly grace.
Past Calendar
July 2026
July
26
Adhara Pana & Niladri Bije
26 July 2026
Marking the sacred conclusion of Ratha Jatra, Mahaprabhu returns to His temple through the divine Niladri Bije ceremony, accompanied by the Adhara Pana offering and Rasagola Bhoga.
July
25
Bahuda Jatra & Suna Besa Darshana
25 July 2026
Mahaprabhu returns to the temple in the grand Bahuda Jatra, followed by the breathtaking Suna Besa Darshana — the golden jewellery adornment of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
July
19
Sydney Ratha Jatra — at Blacktown Showground
19 July 2026
Sydney's grand public Ratha Jatra celebration at Blacktown Showground — chariot procession, cultural performances, prasadam, and community festivities.
July
16
Ratha Jatra — Darshana at Temple
16 July 2026
Lord Jagannatha's chariot festival. Special darshan and puja at the temple on the auspicious day of Ratha Jatra.
July
15
Netra Utsava and Naba Jaubana Darshana
15 July 2026
Netra Utsava marks the end of Anabasara — the deities' eyes are newly painted and their youthful forms (Naba Jaubana) are revealed to devotees for the first time before Rath Yatra.
Past Calendar
June 2026
June
30
Mahaprabhu nka Pati Dian Darshana
30 June 2026 to 13 July 2026
During Anabasara, the deities rest in seclusion. Devotees are blessed with Pati Dian Darshana — viewing the painted representations of the deities on the closed door.
June
29
Debsnana Purnima (Snana Jatra, Gajanana Besa, Anabasara Arambha)
29 June 2026
The sacred bathing festival of Lord Jagannatha. The deities are bathed with 108 pitchers of consecrated water, after which they are adorned in the special Gajanana (elephant) form and retire into Anabasara for 15 days.
Past Calendar
May 2026
May
16
Sabitri Brata
16 May 2026
Savitri Brata is observed by married women for the longevity and well-being of their husbands, commemorating the devotion of Savitri who reclaimed her husband Satyavan from Yama.
Past Calendar
April 2026
Apr
20
Akshya Trutiya (Ratha Khala Anukula)
20 April 2026
Akshaya Tritiya marks the auspicious beginning of chariot construction (Ratha Khala Anukula) for Rath Yatra. Devotees offer new grain and perform special prayers.