No public darshan at Puri Srimandir till 2 PM on June 10 due to Senapata Lagi ritual

The Senapata Lagi Niti of Lord Jagannath and His Siblings is currently underway at Srimandir in Puri, Odisha. Due to the ritual, public darshan of the deities will remain suspended till 2 PM on Tuesday. From the commencement of Alati Pahuda on Monday night until this afternoon, the darshan has been halted for the general public to ensure the smooth execution of all associated rituals and to maintain the confidentiality surrounding the manner in which these sacred traditions are performed.

Snana Yatra Preparations in Full Swing

The Snana Yatra of the deities is scheduled to be held on Wednesday. On this occasion, the Chaturddha Murtis will be taken in a ceremonial procession known as Pahandi from the Ratna Singhasan to the Snana Mandap. Prior to the Pahandi, the Senapata Lagi Niti is being conducted to ensure the protection of Lord Jagannath’s divine physical form.

Daitapati Sevaks Prepare Senapata from Baula Wood

The Daitapati sevaks are responsible for adorning the deities with the Senapata. For this purpose, Baula wood is brought from Satyabadi. The Senapata is crafted annually from this sacred wood, and the Sibling Deities are decorated with it before the commencement of Snana Yatra at the Snana Mandap.

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Hati Besha and Sacred Bathing Ritual

After receiving a ceremonial bath in divine water, the deities will be adorned in Hati Besha and grant darshan to the devotees.

Snana Yatra Marks Beginning of Rath Yatra

The Snana Yatra, also known as Snana Purnima, holds immense significance as it marks the beginning of the Rath Yatra rituals. On this day, the deities are ritually bathed with fragrant holy water drawn from the Suna Kua, or the golden well. Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra are each bathed with 108 pitchers of water. Following this sacred bathing, the Sibling Deities are believed to suffer from fever and are kept in seclusion at the Anasara Ghara for a period of two weeks.

Traditional Allocation of Holy Water for Each Deity

As per tradition, 35 pots of water are used for bathing Lord Jagannath, 33 pots of water for Balabhadra, 22 for Devi Subhadra and 18 pots of water for Lord Sudarshan.