OdishaLIVE Bureau
Puri Dham is the holiest Hindu Dham among the char dhams in Hinduism (four holy places). Puri Dham is known by different names, Sri-kshetra, Sankha-Kshetra, Purushottama-Kshetra and Martya Baikuntha. From the 13 yatras of Lord Jagannath all over the year, Rath Yatra (Car Festival) is the most famous. Essentially Rath Yatra takes place for one day but the rituals and customs related to this Yatra take place for over two months. The chariot building work starts from “Akshaya Tritiya”. In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan Yatra festival marks the commencement of the construction of the chariots of the Ratha Yatra. This Chandan Yatra continues for 21days.
Devasnana Purnima is also known as “Snana Yatra”. Devasnana Purnima is an inseparable part of the famous Ratha Yatra Puri. One this day, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra are taken out from the “Ratnasimhasan” of the Jagannath Puri Temple, early in the morning. There they are ceremonially bathed and decorated for public audience with the devotees. The gods come out along with a procession is brought alive with the sound of chanting mantras and beat of ghantas, drums and cymbals. The water used for bathing the gods is taken from a well present inside the Jagannath Temple. During Devasnana Purnima, a total of 108 pitchers of aromatic water is used to bathe the deities.
After the completion of the bathing ritual, the Lords are dressed up in “Sada besha”. Later in the afternoon, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra are dressed again as “Hathi Besha” (as a form of Ganesha). After the snana yatra rituals are over, the three main deities are shifted to the “Anasara” house located in the temple complex.
After the “Snana Yatra” the Gods are traditionally believed to fall ill. During this period devotees cannot see their Gods. At that time three Pattachitra paintings are displayed for the devotees.
During the Anasara period, it is believed that Lord Jagannath appears in the Alarnath form. Hence the devotees head to Alarnath Mandir which situated in Bramhagiri, 18 Km away from Puri.
Watch all the videos in the series ‘Shree Jagannath Katha’ here:
