208 kg gold, 30 types of ornaments, 5-hour spectacle: Jagannath Trinity to shine in Suna Besha on chariots, lakhs expected for golden darshan
NEW DELHI: Puri's Grand Road will shine brighter this Sunday as Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, will be adorned with over 208 kg of gold ornaments during the 'Suna Besha' ritual on their chariots.
This much-revered tradition takes place every year during the Rath Yatra and will be open for public viewing from 6.30 pm to 11 pm, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.
The deities will be decorated with nearly 30 varieties of gold, silver, and gem-studded ornaments, continuing a legacy that dates back to 1460 CE when King Kapilendra Deb first introduced the ritual after bringing back cartloads of treasures from his southern conquests.
'These ornaments are not purely gold. They are crafted using a mix of gold, silver, and precious stones like diamonds,' said Bhaskar Mishra, a noted researcher on Jagannath culture. He added that while 208 kg of ornaments are used today, no exact estimate exists of the gold content alone.
The ritual, known in temple parlance as 'Bada Tadhau Besha', is the only Suna Besha held in public on the chariots. Four other golden attires are observed within the sanctum of the temple during Vijaya Dasami, Kartika Purnima, Dola Purnima, and Pousa Purnima.
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According to researcher Asit Mohanty, the gold decorations include diadems ('Kiriti'), limbs made of gold, and symbolic weapons. Lord Jagannath holds a gold Chakra and a silver conch, Lord Balabhadra carries a gold mace and plough, while Devi Subhadra is adorned with unique ornaments.
The task of decorating the deities lies with specific temple servitors including the Palia Puspalaks, Mohapatras, Daitapatis, Khuntia, and Mekap Sevaks. The ornaments, temporarily stored due to ongoing repairs at the 'Ratna Bhandar' (temple treasury), will be escorted under tight security and handed over to the servitors for the ritual.
The Puri temple, apart from its gold reserves, also owns over 60,000 acres of land across Odisha and around 395 acres in six other states, according to the state Law department.
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