Puri: The sacred Snana Purnima rituals commenced at the Shree Jagannath Temple here on Monday, marking the ceremonial beginning of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Lakhs of devotees from across the country thronged the pilgrim town to witness the grand bathing ceremony, one of the most significant rituals in the Jagannath tradition.
Amid chants of prayers and devotional fervour, the three sibling deities—Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra—along with Sudarshan, were ceremonially brought out from the sanctum sanctorum in the traditional Pahandi procession and placed on the Snana Mandap, where the sacred bathing ritual began.
On Snana Purnima, observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyestha, the deities are ceremonially bathed with 108 pots of sacred water drawn from the temple’s golden well. The water is prepared with sandalwood, fragrant flowers, herbs and other medicinal ingredients, symbolising purification and healing.
Snana Purnima is the only occasion in the year when the sibling deities are brought out of the sanctum for public darshan on the Snana Mandap, allowing thousands of devotees to offer prayers and seek their blessings.
Following the ceremonial bath, the deities will be adorned in the famous Hati Besha (Elephant Attire), in which Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are decorated with elephant-like features resembling Lord Ganesha. The unique attire is believed to symbolise wisdom, strength, protection and the removal of obstacles ahead of the annual chariot festival.
As per tradition, the deities are believed to fall ill after the elaborate bathing ritual and will remain away from public view during the 15-day Anasara period. During this time, they are offered herbal medicines and a simple diet while devotees worship the Anasara Pata, a traditional painted representation of the deities. They will reappear before devotees during Netrotsav, a day before the Rath Yatra.
The rituals formally set in motion preparations for this year’s Rath Yatra, during which the sibling deities will travel in their majestic chariots from the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Government, Odisha Police and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) have made elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the festival.
Security has been significantly strengthened in and around the temple with an extensive surveillance network comprising 152 CCTV cameras inside the shrine, around 250 cameras outside the temple and 30 additional cameras along the route up to Market Chhak. Senior police officers, including Central Range Inspector General of Police Dr Satyajeet Nayak and Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh, reviewed the security, traffic and crowd management arrangements ahead of the festival.
To facilitate orderly movement of pilgrims, all roads leading directly to the temple have been declared no-vehicle zones. Devotees are entering the temple through the Lion’s Gate and exiting through the North Gate, while shaded barricaded queue systems have been set up to ensure convenience.
Heavy traffic movement was witnessed at the Pipili Toll Gate as lakhs of devotees travelled towards Puri. Additional police personnel and traffic management teams have been deployed to regulate the flow of buses, private vehicles and two-wheelers, while emergency services have been given priority on the busy highway leading to the holy town.
