By Our Correspondent
PURI/BHUBANESWAR: The Snana Jatra (Deba Snana Purnima) rituals of Shree Lord Jagannatha and siblings Shree Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra going on very smoothly amid presence of tens of thousands of devotees, who have flocked to the pilgrimage city of Puri in eastern Indian State of Odisha on Sunday.
The customary rituals began from early morning and till last reports came, Shree Lord Jagannatha and his siblings have arrived at Bathing Pandal( Snana Bedi) following Pahandi procession. The deities are bathed by 108 pitchers of water drawn from a well situated near the Sitala temple in the confines of the 12th century old Jagannatha Temple.
After the bath, the deities are dressed up in the Gajanana (elephant) or Ganesha Besha and their daily food offering or Bhogalagi is made on the Snana Mandap, in full public view. After the Snana Jatra , the three deities keep away from public view for 15 days and this temporary disappearance is called the ‘Anasara’ period.
The Snana Jatra or Deba Snana Purnima, a ceremonial public bath ceremony of the three deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra is an important event in the run-up to the Rath Yatra or the Car Festival. The day, the full-moon day of the month of Jyestha, is considered to be the birth-day of Lord Jagannath.
