Jai Jagannath: In Odisha, lakhs of devotees thronged the pilgrim city of Puri this morning as the sacred Deba Snana Jatra or the Snana Jatra, or the ceremonial bathing festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, is being observed with traditional grandeur at the Shree Jagannath Temple.
The deities have been brought in a ceremonial procession to the Snana Bedi, where they will be bathed with 108 pots of sanctified water drawn from the temple’s sacred Golden Well amid Vedic chants, blowing of conches and devotional music. The annual ritual, held on the auspicious occasion of Deba Snana Purnima, marks an important prelude to the world-famous Rath Yatra.
Following the ceremonial bath, the deities will enter the fortnight-long Anasara period, during which they remain out of public view before reappearing for Nabajoubana Darshan ahead of the Rath Yatra to be held on 16th of next month. Elaborate security and crowd-management arrangements have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.
The holy city of Puri in Odisha resonated with devotion this morning as thousands of pilgrims gathered to witness the sacred Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. In keeping with centuries-old tradition, the sibling deities were ceremonially escorted from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Bedi, where they received the ritual ablution with one hundred and eight pitchers of sanctified water amid the chanting of Vedic hymns, the blowing of conches and devotional music.
Observed on the auspicious occasion of Deba Snana Purnima, the festival marks the ceremonial public appearance of the deities before the annual Rath Yatra. Following the sacred bathing ritual, the deities will enter the customary Anasara period of seclusion, remaining away from public view until their reappearance during Nabajouban Darshan, ahead of the grand chariot festival to begin from 16th of next month. Extensive security and crowd-management arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of the celebrations.
