Puri: Lakhs of devotees made a beeline to Grand road in Puri Saturday to witness the sibling Lords atop their chariots adorned in gold ornaments in a ritual traditionally known as ‘Suna Besha’.
Unlike past years when ‘Suna Besha’ of the trinity here used to be held on Harisayana Ekadasi, this year the same is being observed on Garuda Sayana Ekadasi, Saturday.
After completion of various rituals like ‘Madhhyahna Dhup’ and ‘Mailam’, ‘Suna Besha’ rituals started at 4:00pm. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has made all arrangements for the Suna Besha rituals.
According to Srimandir tradition, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are adorned with gold ornaments on their respective majestic chariots near the Lions’ Gate, a day after the Bahuda Yatra.
“The tradition of Suna Besha or Badatadhau Besha of the deities dates back to the reign of Gajapati king Kapilendra Dev. Servitors usually adorn the deities with at least 138 varieties of ornaments including golden legs, hands, headgears and earrings. Apart from that, Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra are decorated with their respective weapons—Chakra (wheel) and Hala Musala (plough),” said a Jagannath culture researcher.
Customarily, the Suna Besha ritual of the Srimandir Trinity is performed five times in a year. The deities are adorned with gold ornaments four times at the sanctum sanctorum while the ritual is performed once a year on their respective chariots at the end of Rath Yatra.
Ample security arrangements have been made by police administration to ensure that devotees get a free and fair darshan.
