Lakhs witness Lord Jagannath's bathing rituals
Puri: Braving hot and humid weather, lakhs of devotees, including Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, gathered here on Wednesday to witness Lord Jagannath's ceremonial bathing rituals, held in an open pandal on the premises of the 12th-century temple. Earlier in the morning, the three deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were brought to the 'Snana Mandap' (bathing altar) with a ceremonial 'pahandi' (procession).
Shree Sudarshan, considered the 'wheel weapon' of Lord Bishnu, also accompanied the trinity, officials of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said, adding that the 'Pahandi' ritual was completed by 9 am. Amid chanting of 'slokas', 108 pitchers of sacred and scented water, fetched from 'Suna Kua' (golden well) inside the temple premises, were poured on the deities. While 35 pitchers of water were poured on Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were bathed in 33 and 22 pitchers of water, respectively. A total of 18 pitchers of water were poured on Shree Sudarshan.
The ritual was held at the 'Snana Mandap' (bathing altar), the elevated pedestal facing the Grand Road where devotees get the opportunity to witness the bathing rituals, an official at the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.
Accompanied by some local MLAs, the Chief Minister entered the temple through the temple's northern gate and witnessed the morning prayers and the ceremonial procession of the deities. 'For the first time, I got the opportunity to witness the Lord's Pahandi and Mangala Aarti on the Snana Mandap. I prayed for the well-being of all,' Majhi said, adding that he also inspected chariot-making on the Grand Road.
The festival, known as 'Deva Snana Purnima', takes place on the full moon day in the month of 'Jyestha', and this is the first occasion in a year when the wooden idols are brought out of the sanctum sanctorum in a procession and placed on the 'Snana Mandap' for the bathing rituals. It is also considered the birthday of Lord Jagannath.
According to the Skanda Purana, King Indradyumna, who had installed the wooden deities in the 12th-century shrine, introduced the bathing ritual. Soon after the bathing ceremony, Gajapati Maharaja, Puri's titular king Dibyasingha Deb, performed the 'Chhera Panhara' (sweeping) ritual at 'Snana Mandap'.
The deities were dressed up in 'Sada Besha' (plain dress) and later 'Hati Besha' (elephant attire, a form of Lord Ganesha). While Lord Jagannath is dressed as a black elephant, Lord Balabhadra takes the form of a white elephant, and Goddess Subhadra is dressed in Kumari Besha.
'Sahan Mela' or public darshan will be allowed from 7.30 pm, the temple calendar said. The deities will later be taken back to the sanctum sanctorum in the 12th-century shrine and remain in 'Anasara Ghar' (isolation room) for 14 days as they fall ill after having the bath.
The temple 'Baidya' (physician) would treat them with herbal medicines, and the public 'darshan' of the deities will remain closed till June 26, a day before the annual Rath Yatra on June 27. On the occasion, security has been tightened in Puri with the deployment of 70 platoons of force and 450 officers, said SP Vinīt Agarwal. 'For the first time, the police are using AI-based surveillance cameras, linked to a new integrated control room, for real-time monitoring,' he added.
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