Once cooked, the Poda Pitha is cooled and cut into pieces and fried in pure ghee. It is then placed in earthen pots and taken to the three chariots to be offered as bhog.
Why Mahaprabhu stops at Mausima temple to eat Poda Pitha: Today is sacred Bahuda Yatra. Lord Jagannath along with his elder brother lord Balabhadra, loving sister devi Subhadra and lord Sudarshana will return from the Gundicha Temple back to the Srimandir. Lords spend 9 days participating in various rituals and festivities. On Bahuda day the dieties are carried to their respective chariots in a procession called ‘Pahandi’.
During the Bahuda Yatra (return car festival), Lord Jagannath’s chariot stops at the Mausi Maa Temple, also known as his aunt’s house. Here, the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a traditional sweet made with rice, lentils, coconut, and jaggery, as part of an age-old tradition. Since Mausi Maa dried the river to ease the deities’ journey, Lord Shree Jagannath honors his promise by eating Poda Pitha at the Mausi Maa Temple during the Bahuda Yatra.
As per local folklore, the Malini River used to flow between the Jagannath Temple and the Gundicha Temple. Because of the high water levels, the servitors struggled to transport the deities across. Mausi Maa (Goddess Ardhashini) graciously stepped in and drank half of the river’s water to make the journey possible. It is believed that by residing on the banks of the Malini River, Goddess Ardhashini prevented floodwaters from entering the Kshetra and protected the holy place. The goddess is thought to have emerged from Yogamaya’s body, she is fittingly called Mausi Maa, meaning aunt. Gundicha is believed to be the queen of King Indradyumna (the maker of Jagannath temple). It is believed that the Lord was pleased with the queen’s devotions and conferred a boon upon her, promising to visit her palace once a year. The residence of Queen Gundicha turned into a temple later.
There is an interesting story behind Lord Jagannath’s Poda Pitha break at Mausi Maa’s temple. According to local legend the story traces back to Lord Ram’s exile. When Bharat accused his mother Kaikeyi for sending Lord Ram into exile, she felt guilty and cried. To pacify her, Ram promised that in Kali Yuga, incarnation as lord Jagannath, he would visit her house and have Poda Pitha. Since then, the Mausi Maa temple is associated with Kaikeyi, who is believed to offer the sweet to Lord Jagannath.
Once cooked, the Poda Pitha is cooled and cut into pieces and fried in pure ghee. It is then placed in earthen pots and taken to the three chariots to be offered as bhog. This offering is also known as Sarpamanohi Bhog as it is said to remain fresh up to 15 days. Every year lakhs of devotees gather in Puri to witness the sacred Ratha Yatra and seek divine blessings of lord.
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