Thousands Gather in Puri for Lord Jagannath’s Snana Yatra

Thousands of devotees have gathered in Puri, Odisha, to witness the ‘Snana Yatra’ of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra, on the occasion of Deva Snana Purnima. This festival, celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha, is believed to be the birthday of Lord Jagannath.

The Rituals

The deities are taken out in a grand procession from the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple to the Snana Mandap, an elevated platform where the bathing ritual takes place. On this day, the deities undergo a ceremonial bath with 108 pitchers of sacred water. After the bath, they are adorned in Gajanan Besa, resembling Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity.

Anavasara Period

Following the bath, it is believed that the deities become unwell and are moved into a period of seclusion known as ‘Anavasara,’ where they are kept away from public view for about 15 days. During this time, they are offered special medicinal preparations known as ‘Phuluri Tela’ to aid in their recovery. Devotees can have a glimpse of the ‘Patti Dians’ (painted images) of the deities during this period.

Rath Yatra

After the Anavasara period, the deities re-emerge for the grand Rath Yatra, where they are placed on their magnificent chariots and taken on a procession through the streets of Puri. This marks their annual journey to the Gundicha Temple and is one of the most celebrated and attended events, symbolizing their blessing and grace upon all devotees.

Global Attendance

Thousands of devotees from Bangladesh and ISKCON have also gathered at Puri to see the deities. During the period between the Snana Yatra and the Rath Yatra, people from all across the world come to Puri.