Suna Besha of Holy Trinity: A glimpse into glorious history

Amid the drone of devotional chants and the rhythmic beats of drums, cymbals and flutes by countless devotees, Lord Jagannath and His siblings-Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are adorned with gold ornaments in one of the most awe-inspiring ceremonies of Rath Yatra known as the ‘Suna Besha’ on the occasion of ‘Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi’ (11th bright fortnight of Odia month Asadha) in Puri every year.

This grand divine event highlights Odisha’s rich cultural heritage with its stunning display of golden ornaments.

In the festival of Rath Yatra, the most attractive avatar of Lord Jagannath is the Suna Besha, during which the deities are embellished with golden ornaments aboard the gigantic chariots. The devotees can see Lord Jagannath’s incomplete hands and legs with golden arms, palms and feet on the special occasion.

‘Suna Besha’ is also known as ‘Rajarajeswara Besha’ or ‘Badatadahu Besha’. Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are decked in golden attires as part of the beautiful tradition. It is a core part of the worship of Lord Jagannath and is one of the 13 grand festivals celebrated annually at the Srimandir in Puri.

Glorious history

The tradition started with King Kapilendra Deba (1435-1466 AD), a devoted follower of Lord Jagannath. This great king had never declared himself as the ruler of the Kalinga (ancient name of Odisha) empire. He himself had declared that the actual ruler of Kalinga was Lord Jagannath. He himself is only the representative of Lord Jagannath. He is only his servant.

Legend has it that ‘Suna Besha’ began during the reign of King Kapilendra Deb in 1460. After winning the Southern kingdoms, the king brought 16 cartloads of gold, diamonds and precious metals. Subsequently, he donated all the valuables to Lord Jagannath much to the astonishment of the servitors. Moreover, he also instructed his deputies to get ornaments crafted out of those precious metals for the deities. Thus the king began the tradition of adorning Lord Jagannath in gold, recognizing Him as the supreme ruler of Odisha.

So, from that day Lord Jagannath with brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are adorned with golden costumes on the chariot itself every year during the Rath Yatra. Sitting atop the chariots, the deities give darshan to devotees in golden outfit. 

The gold ornaments are stored in the ‘bhandara ghar’. Escorted by armed policemen and temple officials, ‘bhandara mekap’ servitors (store in-charge) bring the gold jewellery laced with invaluable stones and hand it over to Puspalaka and Daitapati priests.