Stage set for Snana Yatra in Puri

Puri: With a few hours left for the much-awaited Snana Yatra of the Lords, the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the festival.

Talking to OTV, Pradip Kumar Das, Niti Prasasak of Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said the devotees would be allowed to enter into the temple from Simhadwara. After entering into the temple they would move towards the Snana Mandap via Bimala temple and Anand Bazar. Arrangements have been made for the exit of the devotees through the remaining three gates of the temple after the darshan.

He said the ritual would begin at 3.30 AM with Mangalarpana while Doralagi and pahandi of the Lords would be performed between 4 AM and 6 AM.

“The bathing ritual would be held between 9.30 AM and 12 PM in which the servitors would pour 108 pots of scented water on the deities. This would be followed by ‘chhera panhara’ ritual of the snana mandap by the Gajapati King of Puri 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," he added.

“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.