Snana Yatra

BY: SUN STAFF - 8.6 2020

Their Lordships Perform Hati Vesha (elephant mask)

Snana Yatra is observed on June 5th.

The Snana Yatra Festival takes place in the month of Jyeshtha. It is also popularly known as the Deba Snana Purnima. This is the first occasion if the year when Their Lordships Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, along with Sudarshan and Madan-Mohan, are brought out from the Temple and taken on procession to Snana Bedi.

Snana Bedi is located in the North Eastern corner of the outer compound. There, the Deities are given a bath with 108 pitchers of water from a well near the Northern Gate of the temple compound. Sri Jagannath and Balabhadra are then dressed like Lord Ganesh of the Puranas, with the head of an elephant, while Lady Sabhadra is encircled in lotus petals.

The Snana Yatra Festival takes place in the month of Jyeshtha. It is also popularly known as the Deba Snana Purnima. This is the first occasion if the year when Their Lordships Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, along with Sudarshan and Madan-Mohan, are brought out from the Temple and taken on procession to Snana-vedi.

On the day prior to Snana Yatra, large images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra along with Sudarshana are ceremonially carried out of the sanctum in a procession to the Snana-vedi (bathing pandal). This special pandal is also known as Snana Mandap.

The Snana-vedi is located in the North Eastern corner of the outer compound. There, the Deities are given a bath with 108 pitchers of water from a well near the Northen Gate of the temple compound. It is arranged at a height that will allow devotees standing outside the temple to get a glimpse of the Deities.

After Their bath, Sri Jagannath and Balabhadra are dressed like Lord Ganesh, with the head of an elephant, while Lady Sabhadra is encircled in lotus petals.

According to the Skanda Purana, when Raja Indradyumna installed the wooden Jagannath Deities, he arranged for this bathing ceremony, considering the day to be the birthday of Lord Jagannath.

Thousands of devotees and tourists arrive in Puri each year to witness the ritual bathing of Their Lordships. This annual festival has been conducted for the last 10 centuries, and precedes the world famous Ratha Yatra in Puri, a ten-day long chariot festival. Accompanied by the blowing of conches and beating of kartals and mrdanga, the huge Deity forms of Lord Jagannath, brother Balabhadra (Baladev) and sister Subhadra are given a bath by the temple priests. Called Snanpurnima or Shahi snan, the royal bath, consists of 108 pitchers of aromatic water. The Deities are draped in beautiful cloths to receive bath.

After Their bath, the Deities traditionally fall sick with a cold, and are not seen by the devotees for 15 days as they take rest. During that time, the pujaris are lovingly administering special preparations and accommodations for the Deities to restore them to health. The re-appearance and subsequent chariot festival is an extremely joyous event for the devotees.

'Niladri Mohadaya', an Orissan sastra, records the rituals of the Snana Yatra festival In his 'Naisadhiya Charita' (XV.89), Sriharsa also refers to this as the festival of Purushottama.