Puri
Lakhs of devotees, along with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and several dignitaries, gathered in Puri on Wednesday to witness Lord Jagannath's ceremonial bathing, marking the Deva Snana Purnima festival. Held at the historic 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the rituals took place in an open pandal on the temple premises.
The three deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—were brought to the 'Snana Mandap' (bathing altar) through a grand ‘Pahandi’ procession, which began at 5:45 am and concluded by 8:55 am. The Chief Minister, accompanied by Puri MP Sambit Patra, entered through the temple’s northern gate to witness the sacred ceremony.
Considered the birthday of Lord Jagannath, this is the only time in the year when the deities are taken out of the sanctum sanctorum. Around 12:20 pm, 108 pitchers of holy water from the temple’s ‘Sunakua’ (golden well) were poured on the idols amid Vedic chants.
Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, performed the ceremonial sweeping of the bathing altar before the deities were dressed in Gaja Vesha (elephant attire). Devotees were allowed for ‘Sahan Mela’ (public darshan) from 7:30 pm.
After the rituals, the deities were taken to the 'Anasara Ghar' (isolation room) for 14 days of rest and treatment. Public viewing will resume on June 26, a day before the grand Rath Yatra.
Security was heightened, with 70 platoons and 450 officers deployed. AI-based surveillance cameras were used for real-time crowd monitoring.
