Puri: June 05: Today is Deba Snana Purnima, the royal bathing ceremony of the Holy Trinity Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath along with Lord Sudarshan. This is first major ceremony before the Rath Yatra or Car Festival.
Usually, lakhs of Devotees throng to Puri on this day to witness this Ceremony. But, this is first time; no devotees were allowed to attend the grand bathing ceremony of Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath on Friday owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
So, millions of devotees have watched the ceremony through Television. Different TV channels have organised the live telecast of the mega event.
After the morning rituals, the servitors brought the Chaturdha Murti to the Snana Mandap in Dhadi Pahandi.
Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan were bathed with 108 pots of water mixed with extracts of various aromatic herbs.
108 pots of water are collected from the ‘SUNA Well’ near Sitala Temple inside the premises of Sri Mandir.
Thirty five pots of water were prepared for the bathing of Lord Jagannath, 33 pots for Lord Balabhadra, 22 pots for Devi Subhadra and 18 pots for Sudarshan.
On the auspicious occasion of Snana Purnima, after the ceremonial bathing is completed, the deities gave darshan as Hati Besha. Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath bore the head of an elephant replicating Lord Ganesha.
Devi Subhadra gave darshan to the devotees in lotus flower get-up.
