Lord Jagannātha Slaps Puṇḍarīka

Lord Jagannātha has an annual festival in Puri named Oṛana Ṣaṣthī. On this occasion, Lord Jagannātha’s pujaris dress the deity in cloth which still has the tapioca-based starch (māṛ) in it. A hilarious pastime took place when Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, a dear associate of Mahaprabhu, witnessed the custom of dressing Jagannath with such a cloth. This article describes that particular pastime.