2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Lakhs of devotees throng Puri to witness Trinity's Snana Purnima ritual
PURI: Lakhs of devotees thronged Puri to witness the grand Snana Purnima ritual of the Trinity in Srimandir on Wednesday.
The day began with the ceremonial Pahandi procession after Mangalarpan at 5.45 am as Daita servitors escorted the deities from the Ratna Singhasan to the Snana Bedi (bathing altar), located on the eastern side of the temple near Singhadwar.
Once the Trinity was placed on the Snana Bedi, servitors performed the regular morning rituals including Mangalarati, Mailum, Tadap Lagi and Abakash, and dressed the deities in their bathing attire.
At around 1.30 pm, the deities were bathed with 108 pitchers of consecrated aromatic water. Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb performed the Chherapahanra ritual at 4 pm and offered prayers on the Snana Bedi. This ceremony concluded at around 4.55 pm.
Following the bath, three sets of dressers adorned the deities in elephant attire called the Hati Besha or Gajanan Besha. Large decorated elephant masks made of thermocol were provided by Raghab Das and Gopal Jew mutts. The dressing ritual took about an hour. The Besha darshan continued late into the night.
