Puri: Lakhs of devotees on Saturday witnessed Lord Jagannath’s Snana Yatra, holy batching ceremony, in Odisha’s pilgrim city Puri.
As a part of the ritual, along with Lord Jagannath, His siblings — elder brother Lord Balabhandra and Devi Subhadra —were in the morning brought out from Ratna Bedi (inner sanctum of the Shree Jagannath temple) to the Snana Mandap or bathing pandal in a traditional procession called Pahandi. The Bada Pandas or chief priests performed Mangal Arati at the Snana Mandap.
During the procession, the deities were decorated with flowers and garland of Tulasi (holy basil). The Suaras and Mahasuaras, two separate clans of servitors, moved in a ceremonial procession for bringing 108 pots of holy water from Suna Kua (Golden Well).
The mouths of the servitors were covered with cloth bands while fetching the water from the well so as to ensure that the water does not come in contact with their breath.
The pots were placed at the Bhoga Mandap, where the priests ‘purified’ the water with aromatic herbs, flowers by chanting the mantras. Later, the pots were carried to the Snana Mandap by the Suaras in a single queue. Then the deities took showers with 108 pots of water.
After the Snana Yatra, the deities were adorned with Hati Besha, also known as Gajanan Besha. As per Hati Besha ritual, the deities appear on the Snana Mandap in elephant look.
As per tradition, the deities will fall sick this evening because of heavy showers. Thereafter, they will quarantine themselves in a separate temple called Anasarghar for 15 days after which they will give darshan to the devotees.
