The Herapanchami ritual is celebrated on the fifth day of the Ratha Jatra of Mahaprabhu Jagannatha. It takes place during the bright half of the Asadha month. During this ritual, the Palia Mahajanas perform the Majana ritual of Maa Lakhmi, followed by the Banakalagi ritual and adorning her with Pata and Alankaras. The Puja Panda offers Panti Bhoga to Maa Lakhmi, which is provided by the Palia Mekapa, Pratihari, and Muduli sebayatas.Afterward, the Mahajanas take Maa Lakhmi near the BataBrukhya and place her on the Bimana. The Bimanabadu sebayatas then carry the Bimana on their shoulders and lead a procession accompanied by Chhata and the musical sounds of Ghanta and Kahali instruments. The procession moves through Badadanda and stops in front of Gundicha Deula, where the Rathas are located.
The Pati Mahapatra sebayatas offer Bhoga, perform Bandapana, and conduct the Chamara Alata ritual.Meanwhile, inside the Gundicha temple, the deities have undergone Besha rituals and Sandhya dhupa performed by the Pujapanda sebayatas. The procession of Maa Lakhmi continues from the Ratha area to the Jaya Bijaya Dwara of the Jagamohana in Gundicha Deula. The Pati Mohapatra sebayata climbs up to the Singhasana, retrieves the Aagyanmala from Jagannatha, and presents it to Maa Lakhmi. Then, the Puja Panda sebayata offers Dhupa and Deepa and ties the Tera cloth.
The Bimana of Maa Lakhmi is then moved from the Jagamohana to the Nakachana Dwara and eventually to a nearby tree. The Bhitarachha Mahapatra sebayata takes the Hatuani from the Garabadu sebayata, performs Bandapana, and offers the Dahipati bhoga. Finally, the Bimana of Maa Lakhmi is brought near the Ratha of Jagannatha Mahaprabhu. One of the sebayatas in the Bimana procession breaks a wooden piece from the Nandighosha Ratha and proceeds through the Heragouri Sahi until reaching the Bada Deula or Shrimandira.
This ritual is significant because Maa Lakhmi became upset when Mahaprabhu Jagannatha went on a vacation to Gundicha Deula for the Ratha Jatra with his siblings without including Maa Lakhmi in the journey. This is why she breaks the Ratha of Mahaprabhu Jagannatha. Following this ritual, on the Saptami tithi, the direction of the Rathas is changed towards the South, indicating the approaching Bahuda Jatra.
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