Braving scorching and humid climate, 1000’s of devotees gathered on the seaside city of Puri in Odisha to witness Lord Jagannath’s ‘Snana Jatra’ or the washing rituals on the Twelfth-century shrine.

The sibling deities — Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath — had been dropped at the ‘Snana Mandap’ or the washing altar of the temple the place 108 pitchers of sacred water had been poured on them.

The water was fetched from the ‘Suna Kua’ or the golden effectively within the temple. The water was added with natural and fragrant essence earlier than pouring in on the deities at ‘Snana Bedi’. The pageant can be referred to as ‘Deva Snan Purnima’.

Gajapati Maharaja or Puri’s titular king Dibyasingha Deb carried out ‘Chhera Panhara’ (sweeping) ritual at ‘Snana Mandap’ instantly after the washing ritual, mentioned Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher of Jagannath tradition.

After the completion of ‘Chhera Panhara’, the deities had been adorned with ‘Hati Besa’ (elephant apparel) on the ‘Snana Bedi’.

As per the assumption, the deities then fall sick and develop fever on account of extra bathing. The ailing deities are taken to ‘Anasara Gruha’ (isolation room).

The deities would now be quarantined for 14 days on the ‘Anasara Gruha’. The devotees aren’t allowed to go to the deities throughout this era. Upon their restoration, the deities reappear earlier than the devotees on the event of ‘Nabajauban Darshan’.

The police made elaborate preparations for the graceful ‘darshan’. Most of the devotees had glimpse of the deities from ‘Bada Danda’, the grand highway in entrance of the temple.

Sixty platoons (one platoon comprise 30 personnel) of police had been deployed in Puri for the graceful conduct of the ‘Snana Jatra’.

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