Home / Arts and Entertainment / Deities Bathed in Sacred Ritual Before Rath Yatra
Deities Bathed in Sacred Ritual Before Rath Yatra
29 Jun
Summary
- Lord Jagannath and siblings undergo sacred ceremonial bath.
- The ritual precedes the world-famous Rath Yatra festival.
- Deities enter a 15-day seclusion for healing after the bath.
The Deva Snana Purnima, a significant festival in the Jagannath tradition, took place on Monday, June 29, 2026. On this day, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra were brought from the sanctum sanctorum for a grand ceremonial bath.
This ritual involved bathing the deities with 108 pitchers of sacred water and adorning them in the unique Hati Besha, resembling Lord Ganesha. The festival is a symbol of purification and renewal, believed to bestow spiritual merit upon observers.
Following the elaborate bathing, the deities are traditionally believed to develop a fever. They enter a 15-day period of seclusion known as Anavasara for healing rituals. This period precedes the highly anticipated Rath Yatra festival, marking the beginning of its preparations.
