Introduction
Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath is considered an extremely holy destination in eastern India. Devotees from all across the country visit Puri all through the year especially during the Jagannath Festival. The Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa is a major centre of attraction for devotees as well as tourists. Constructed in the 12th century by Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev, the temple attracts thousands of people across India and the world.
Lord Jagannath, a manifestation of Lord Krishna is worshipped as the Lord of the World. At the Jagannath Temple in Orissa, along with the idol of Lord Jagannath are the idols of his brother Balaram and his sister Subhadra.
Description
Snana Yatra is celebrated to commemorate the day Lord Jagannath was born. The celebration includes a special and elaborate bath of the deity.
It is known from the Skanda Purana that Raja Indradyumna who installed the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra in the Jagannath Temple in Puri had organized a bathing ceremony.
The Niladri Mohadaya which is a religious text written in the local Orissa language relates the rituals of the Snana Yatra ritual. This festival is often believed to be a tribal ritual as the Daitas and Savars, tribal of the region have the sole authority to perform the rituals.
The day before the ceremony the deities are brought out of the temple in an elaborate procession to the place where they will be bathed called the Snana-Vedi. The designated area is constructed very high so that visitors outside the temple can also witness the ritual. The festival includes collecting water from the far away jungles where the water is untouched by the animals of the jungle.
The priests carry one hundred and thirty gold and copper vessels to the Golden Well or the Suna Kua. With their mouths covered they fill the vessels. The water is then purified by the Brahmin priests.
Before the bathing ceremony begins, the deities are covered in silk, decorated and purified with water and incense. Along with the chanting of Vedic mantras, the bathing ceremony is conducted.
Time to celebrate
Snana Yatra is organized on the full moon or Purnima in the month of Jyestha.
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