Puri: The much-awaited Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra began in the pilgrim city here this morning.
Reports said the entire Bada Danda (Grand Road) is teeming with devotees waiting for the darshan of the Lords at the Snana Mandap (bathing altar).
The rituals of the Lords began in the wee hours at 3.30 AM with Mangalarpana performed by the Daitapati servitors. The pahandi (procession) of the Lords began at 4 PM after Doralagi ritual.
The Lords were then taken and placed on the Snana Mandap at about 6 AM.
“The bathing ritual would be held between 9.30 AM and 12 PM during which the servitors would pour 108 pots of scented water on the deities. This would be followed by the visit of the Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati to the Snana Mandap for the darshan of the deities. As per the schedule, Puri Gajapati Divyasingh Deb would perform ‘chhera panhara’ ritual between 12.30 PM and 1 PM.
Thereafter the servitors would perform ‘Hati Besha’ (elephant attire) of the deities between 1 PM and 3 PM.
The devotees will have Sahana Mela (open) darshan of the deities from 6 PM to 11 PM.
“The Sahana Mela darshan will be closed at 11 PM after which the deities would be taken on pahandi to the sanctum sanctorum,” said Binayak Dasmahapatra, assistant secretary of Daitapati Nijog.