Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the district administration are all set to organise the Snana Purnima (bathing) ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, Monday.
The Srimandir deities would be adorned with Hatibesa (elephant attire) soon after the completion of bathing ritual.
The SJTA has made all arrangement for the Pahandi procession of the presiding deities from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Bedi (bathing altar) during the Snana Purnima ritual, which is considered as the prelude to annual Rath Yatra.
Lord Sudarshan, the holy weapon of Lord Jagannath, would be the first to reach the Snana Bedi from the sanctum sanctorum in a Pahandi procession Monday morning. Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra would follow Lord Sudarshan. Lord Jagannath would be the last one to reach the bathing altar.
As per Srimandir tradition, servitors would collect 108 pitchers of water from a holy well for the bathing ritual. They would add aromatic substances like sandalwood paste and camphor to the water.
The servitors would pour 33 pitchers of water on Lord Jagannath, 30 pitchers on Lord Balabhadra, 27 pitchers of water on Devi Subhadra and 18 pitchers of water on Lord Sudarshan immediate after the completion of Chhera Panhara ritual by Gajapati king Dibyasingha Deb.
“The deities would be adorned with Hatibesa immediately after the bathing ritual. Devotees can have darshan of the deities on Snana Bedi till 9.30 pm Monday. Subsequently, the deities would be taken to Anasara Gruha (asylum for the sick) on the temple premises,” said a Srimandir servitor.
As per tradition, the deities suffer from fever after the bathing ritual and they keep themselves confined to the Anasara Gruha for 15 days for medication.
“The devotees cannot have darshan of the deities during the Anasara ritual. They can visit the deities on the occasion of Nabajouban Darshan July 2,” said the servitor.
Meanwhile, hundreds of devotees Sunday visited Srimandir to have a darshan of the deities at the sanctum sanctorum.
