Snana Purnima, Rath Yatra rituals finalised at Srimandir managing committee meeting 

With just four days left for the Deva Snana Purnima at Srimandir in Puri, the arrangements and rituals to be followed on the occasion received a nod at the managing committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Monday. 

As per the decision taken in the meeting, temporary sheds will be set up on the Badadanda (grand road) in front of the temple keeping the soaring temperature in view. There will be arrangements in place for easy movement of devotees. 

Similarly, drinking water facility will be there as well. As it is expected that a huge number of devotees will turn up to have a darshan of deities, there will be barricades from Marchikote or Market Square to control the crowd and manage the traffic. 
“The management committee has approved the rituals to be observed at Srimandir from the Snana Purnima to Rath Yatra. The said rituals were earlier proposed and discussed at Niti sub-committee and Chhatisha Nijog meetings,” informed Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.  
Notably, the Devasnana Purnima falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyestha. This year, it falls on June 4. On this day, the deities are taken from the sanctum sanctorum to the snana bedi or bathing altar. There, they are bathed with 108 pitchers of fragrant divine water. 
After the ritualistic bath, the deities fall sick. Then they are taken one after another in Anasara Pahandi to a sick room called ‘Anasara Ghara’. It marks the beginning of their 14-day-long quarantine period.