The sacred bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath and his siblings – Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra – was held today at the iconic 12th-century temple early on Monday, drawing lakhs of pilgrims to the coastal city of Puri for the auspicious Deva Snans Purnima.
Serving as an essential prelude to the famous annual Rath Yatra, the Snana Yatra involves escorting Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath out of the inner sanctum to be bathed 108 pitchers of water in full public view.
The gathered devotees are treated to a clear view of the holy proceedings, which was held on an elevated platform inside the temple complex, visible from the grand road stretching out in front of the shrine.
This year’s festival commenced at the break of dawn at 5.15 am with ‘Pahandi’ – the elaborate ceremonial procession of the idols – which wrapped up by 8 am.
According to the Skanda, King Indradyumna, the ruler who had installed the wooden forms inside the ancient temple, introduced the bathing ritual.
After being seated on the alta, the servitors performed ‘Mangala Aarti’, which is the first offering to the Lords after the opening of the temple. On Snana Purnima, devotees get the opportunity to see the Mangala Aarti from an open pandal.
Accompanied by the resonant chanting of ancient Vedic hymns, a total of 108 vessels of consecrated water, drawn exclusively from the temple’s sacred ‘Sunakua’ (golden well), are poured over the divine idols.
Immediately following the bathing ritual, Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, is scheduled to perform the ‘Chhera Pahanra’ (ritual sweeping) of the pavilion, after which the deities will be beautifully dressed in their elephant-headed “Gaja Vesha” attire, a temple representatives said.
Afterward, the divine siblings will return inside the 12th-century shrine to enter the ‘Anasara Ghar’ (sick room) for a fortnight of complete isolation. Consequently, public darshan will be entirely suspended until July 15, just one day prior to the Rath Yatra chariot festival.
Tight security has been arranged in Puri with the deployment of 79 platoons of the police force, said Inspector General (Central Range) Satyajit Naik.
