Snana Purnima 2024: Know 10 Amazing Things About Snana Yatra Of Lord Jagannath And His Siblings

Today is Deva Snana Purnima, also known as Snana Yatra, which celebrates the birthday of Lord Jagannath.

Here are 10 fascinating aspects of this festival in which the Lord Jagannath and his siblings are brought out from the sanctum sanctorum of Puri Srimandir.

The deities are taken out in a traditional procession called ‘Pahandi’ and taken to the Snana bedi, the bathing altar.

Before the bathing ceremony, rituals such as Mangala Alati, and Surya Puja along with others are performed by servitors.

Fragrant divine water, brought from the Suna Kua (golden well), is used for the sacred bath, a ritual that occurs once a year.

The water pots used are purified with turmeric, sandalwood, and flowers before fetching water.

Lord Jagannath is bathed with 35 pots of water, Balabhadra with 33, Devi Subhadra with 22, and Lord Sudarshan with 18, accompanied by Vedic chants and rituals.

The Puri Gajapati performs the ritual of cleaning the bathing altar after the bath.

After Chhera Panhara, where cleaning is done, the deities are adorned in Hati Besha (elephant attire) for Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, and Padma Besha (Lotus attire) for Devi Subhadra.

According to Skanda Purana, King Indradyumna initiated the bathing ceremony by dressing the deities as Lord Ganesha to honour the Ganapatya sect.

After rituals, a special ‘Bhog’ (offering) is presented to the deities. Devotees gather on the Grand Road to get a glimpse of the deities on the bathing altar, believed to cleanse all sins upon witnessing.

These traditions and rituals make Deva Snana Purnima a significant and revered festival in the worship of Lord Jagannath.