Latest news with #SnanPurnima
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bada Danda artists embrace spiritual discipline
1 2 Puri: Around 30 men, who have meticulously painted the Bada Danda with traditional art, not only showcased their exceptional skills but also embraced a rigorous spiritual discipline in honour of the Lord. Their commitment involves working barefoot, adhering to a strictly vegetarian diet, and commencing their daily tasks only after bathing. Their work, which began after Snan Purnima on June 12, concluded on June 26, on the eve of the festival. The group of Odia artists have quietly turned Bada Danda (Grand Road) into a sacred canvas pouring not just colour but devotion, discipline and spiritual purity into every stroke. "For us, this is not just painting. It's like preparing the Lord's path. We eat only sattvik food, even some people avoid eating mushroom and not even a pinch of tobacco is allowed," said Rinku Chhualsingh of Khurda, who has been painting since three years. "We used to stay in Puri and paint for almost 10-12 hours a day. We are not just painting a road, we are preparing a path for the Lord himself. Every stroke of our brush is a prayer," said Kishore Jena, another artist from Bhubaneswar. "Sometimes rain would wash away hours of work, but we would start again because we believe it is seva, not labour," added Jena. This year, roads near the Jagannath Temple and Gundicha Temple have been beautifully adorned with intricate designs of Odia jhoti chita, resembling the colour of three chariots, all created using waterproof floor colours. The vibrant artwork is meant to welcome the deities as they journey from the main temple to their garden abode. "Even while working barefoot on the hot road, we don't feel the pain. It feels like the blessing of Lord Jagannath flows through us," said Rabindra Nayak, another artist.
United News of India
11-06-2025
- General
- United News of India
Lakhs of devotees throng Puri to witness grand royal bathing of Trinity at Sri Jagannath Temple
Puri, June 11 (UNI) Lakhs of devotees thronged the grand road of this pilgrim city on Wednesday to witness the magnificent royal bathing ceremony and the 'Hati Vesha' of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and their sister Devi Subhadra of the Sri Jagannath Temple. The royal bathing ceremony, popularly known as Snan Purnima, is considered a major ritual preceding the famous Car Festival or Rath Yatra of the deities. As per tradition, the holy triad was ceremoniously escorted from the Ratnasinhasan in the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple to the Snana Vedi in the early hours of Wednesday by the Daita servitors in a grand 'Pahandi' procession, accompanied by chants of 'Jai Jagannath.' The air resonated with the music of drums, cymbals, bugles, and ghanta as the Daita servitors — a special group known as the protectors of the deities — carried the deities to the bathing altar located in the outer temple complex. The bathing altar is a large raised platform overlooking the grand road and facing east. The priests consecrated the holy water drawn from the sacred golden well inside the temple complex. A total of 108 pitchers of water, blended with aromatic herbs and sandalwood, were used for the bathing ritual. The water was manually drawn by the servitors from the golden well of the temple. Of this, 35 pitchers were used for bathing Lord Jagannath, 33 for Balabhadra, 22 for Subhadra, and 18 for Sudarshan. After the bathing ceremony, the deities were dressed, and Gajapati King Dibyasingh Deb, the foremost servitor of the Lord, arrived in a ceremonial procession from the palace to perform the Chhera Pahanra (sweeping around the deities atop the Snana Vedi). A special set of servitors adorned the deities in the 'Hati Vesha' or elephant attire, symbolising their incarnation as Lord Ganesha. The deities were offered bhog before the public darshan of the deities during the 'Sahanamela', which will continue from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Late in the night, the deities will be taken to a secluded chamber in the temple called the 'Anasar House' (room for the sick) in a similar 'Pahandi Bije' procession. Here, Lord Jagannath, along with Balabhadra and Subhadra, will recline for fifteen days, believed to suffer from fever following the holy bath. During this fortnight, the temple's Vaidya (doctor) will treat the deities with herbal medicines, and they will be served fruits as their diet by the Daita servitors. Public darshan of the deities will be prohibited during these fifteen days. However, devotees visit the Alarnath Temple, about 23 km from Puri, where it is believed that Lord Jagannath manifested during this period. As part of the security arrangements, 450 officers and 70 platoons of police forces have been deployed, said Central Range IG S Praveen Kumar. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, along with senior officials, visited the Puri Srimandir and participated in the Mangala Alati, the 'Pahandi Bije,' and had a darshan of the presiding deities. Majhi expressed his satisfaction with the rituals and the security arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the Snana Yatra. The Chief Minister said the Rath Yatra, scheduled to be held on June 27, would be conducted smoothly with the blessings of Lord Jagannath. UNI DP ARN
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Time of India
Puri collector, SP review Alarnath Temple security
Puri: District collector (Puri) Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal on Tuesday reviewed the security arrangements at Alarnath Temple in Brahmagiri. As per tradition, after Snan Purnima on June 11, there will be no darshan at Jagannath Temple for 14 days. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During this period, lakhs of devotees visit the Alarnath Temple for darshan. To ensure the safety of devotees, additional police forces will be deployed. Traffic arrangements, including parking, diversions and one-way traffic flow will be implemented on the roads leading to Brahmagiri. Police personnel will be stationed at every junction for traffic control. On the occasion, a coordination meeting was held between Swain, Agrawal, Alarnath temple servitors and the local administration. Puri police will also set up a 'feedback centre' on the temple premises. Senior officials, including additional SP Sushil Mishra, additional SP Deba Pratap, additional SP Soumya Ranjan Mallik, tehsildar of Brahmagiri, BDO and SDPO (Sadar) were also present.
