Devotees Flock to Puri for the Sacred Snana Yatra Celebration
A Grand Gathering in Puri
A sea of devotees gathered at Jagannatha Dham, Puri, for sacred Snana Yatra(Photo: @manas_muduli/X)
Bhubaneswar, June 29: A massive influx of devotees arrived in Puri, Odisha, to partake in the revered 'Snana Purnima' or 'Deva Snana Purnima', which involves the ritual bathing of the holy triad—Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra—at the renowned Jagannath temple on Monday.
This event marks the commencement of the much-anticipated Rath Yatra, set to take place on July 16 this year.
According to the schedule, early Monday morning, the servitors conducted a grand procession known as 'Pahandi Bije', bringing the deities from their sanctum to the bathing platform 'Snana Vedi', accompanied by the sounds of traditional instruments like gongs and conch shells.
The holy siblings were bathed by the servitors using 108 pitchers of sacred, fragrant water sourced from a mysterious well called 'Sunakua' or 'Golden Well' within the temple, between noon and 2 p.m.
Post-bathing, the deities were adorned with specially crafted elephant masks, referred to as 'Gajanana Besha' or 'Hathi Besha'. Subsequently, they returned to the temple and were placed in the 'Anasaragruha' (isolation room).
It is believed that the holy siblings experience fever due to the bathing ritual and remain inaccessible to everyone except the Daita and Pati servitors.
After the 'anasara' or quarantine period, the idols reappear in a new form known as 'Naba Jaubana Darshana'.
On this auspicious occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited Puri to offer prayers at the 'Snana Bedi' (bathing altar).
After his prayers, CM Majhi expressed, “Today, my wish to have darshan of Lord Jagannath during the Dev Snana Yatra has been fulfilled. I prayed for the well-being of people worldwide and in Odisha, as well as for the prosperity of our state. I also sought blessings for the smooth conduct of the upcoming Ratha Yatra festival.”
He later reviewed the ongoing construction of the chariots for the forthcoming Rath Yatra.
The Puri Police have implemented extensive measures for crowd management to prevent any incidents during the Snana Yatra festival.
As per sources from Odisha Police, a significant deployment has been made, including four Commandants/SP-rank officers, 14 Additional SPs/Deputy Commandants, 31 DSPs/Assistant Commandants, 83 Inspectors/Sub-Inspectors, 340 SIs/ASIs, and 79 platoons of police personnel, along with specialized units, to ensure the event proceeds smoothly.