Rath Yatra: Suna Besha of Lord Jagannath draws lakhs of devotees

Puri: Lakhs of devotees thronged the Puri Badadanda today to witness the holy Trinity in their golden glory during the Suna Besha ritual today.

All roads led to Badadanda today as it was that time of the year when the sibling deities of Puri Srimandir adorn their gold ornaments and give darshan to devotees.

Thanks to the coordination between servitors and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the Suna Besha ritual of the Holy Trinity was conducted smoothly without any hassles.

The rituals for Suna Besha started much early at around 3 PM soon after the Madhyan Dhupa and Sandhya Arati. The wait was soon over after the sevayats began shifting the gold ornaments to the three chariots.

Suna Besha is a spectacle to behold and millions of devotees from across the globe are drawn to Puri during the ritual.

“I had heard a lot about Puri Rath Yatra. This time, it was only due to Lord’s grace that our family got an opportunity to be a part of the celebrations. It was really a great experience to see the deities in their golden avatar,” said Mahima, a devotee from neighbouring Jharkhand.

Elaborate arrangements were put in place by Odisha police for maintaining law and order during the Suna Besha ritual. 145 platoons of police were deployed during the Suna Besha ritual, official sources said.