Discover the Golden Splendor of Puri's Suna Besha Ritual: A Tradition Steeped in History

The Majestic Suna Besha Ceremony

Puri: During the annual Rath Yatra festival, Lord Jagannath, along with His siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, was adorned with an impressive 208 kg of gold ornaments in a ritual known as 'Suna Besha' on Sunday.

Devotees were granted the opportunity to view the deities from 6:30 PM to 11 PM, as per the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).

Sources from the temple revealed that the deities are dressed in approximately 30 unique designs of ornaments crafted from gold, diamonds, silver, and other precious materials.

Historically, around 138 ornament designs were introduced during the reign of King Kapilendra Deb in 1460. Today, the ritual still employs 208 kg of gold ornaments, although they are not solely made of gold. The ornaments consist of a blend of gold, silver, diamonds, and other metals. There is no specific measurement for the gold content alone, according to Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher in Shree Jagannath Culture.

Mishra noted that while records exist regarding the use of gold ornaments during the East India Company era in Odisha, the exact weight of gold used in the ritual remains undocumented.

Priests involved in the Suna Besha ritual assert that the ornament designs from King Kapilendra Deb's time are still utilized today, albeit with repairs made using gold donated by pilgrims.

"Every year, the gold ornaments are refurbished before the Suna Besha during the Rath Yatra," Mishra explained, mentioning that there are requests to recreate certain ornaments as the Lord's treasury has received around 50 kg of gold from devotees over the years.

Known as 'Bada Tadhau Besha' in temple terminology, the Suna Besha on chariots is particularly popular as it allows a large number of devotees to witness the event. This ritual occurs on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi, the 11th day of the bright fortnight in Asadha.

In addition to the chariot ceremony, four other Suna Besha rituals take place within the temple on Vijaya Dasami (Dasahara), Kartika Purnima, Dola Purnima, and Pousa Purnima (Pushyabhiseka) according to the Odia calendar.

Asit Mohanty, a researcher of Shree Jagannath culture, stated that the Suna Besha ritual was initiated in the Puri temple during King Kapilendra Deb's reign in 1460, when the king brought 16 cartloads of gold ornaments to Odisha after conquering southern Indian rulers.

The king donated these precious items to Lord Jagannath and instructed the temple priests to create ornaments for the Suna Besha of the deities, which include gold diadems, known locally as 'Kiriti', and gold adornments for their hands and feet.

Lord Jagannath holds a gold Chakra (disc) in His right hand and a silver conch in His left, while Lord Balabhadra carries a golden plough in his left hand and a gold mace in his right. Goddess Subhadra is also adorned with various ornaments, Mohanty added.

Specific servitors, including Palia Puspalak, Bhitarchha Mohapatra, Talichha Mohapatra, Daitapatis, Khuntia, and Mekap Sevaks, are responsible for dressing the deities in their golden attire. Thousands of devotees from all backgrounds have the chance to witness the Suna Besha on the chariots during the evening hours of the Ekadashi, Mohanty noted.

Currently, as Lord Jagannath's 'Ratna Bhadar' is undergoing repairs by the ASI, the gold ornaments are temporarily stored in a secure location after being moved from the outer chamber of the sacred treasury. The 'Bhandara Mekap' servitor, escorted by armed police and temple officials, delivers the gold jewelry adorned with precious stones to the Puspalaka and Daitapati servitors for the decoration of the deities.

In addition to its significant gold holdings, the Puri temple also possesses extensive land assets.

In Odisha, the temple's land holdings are estimated to encompass around 60,426 acres across 24 districts. Furthermore, the temple owns land in other states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar, totaling approximately 395 acres, according to sources in the Law department.