Home / Arts and Entertainment / Deities Bathed in 108 Pots for Sacred Elephants Attire
Deities Bathed in 108 Pots for Sacred Elephants Attire
29 Jun
Summary
- Sibling deities receive a sacred bath with 108 pitchers of water.
- Deities will don majestic elephant attire, Hati Besha, for the first time publicly.
- A 15-day Anasara period follows for divine recuperation after the bath.
Puri is gearing up for the significant Deba Snana Purnima, a sacred ritual preceding the annual Rath Yatra. This year, the festival falls on June 29. The sibling deities, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra, will be bathed with 108 pitchers of water on the Snana Mandap.
Following the ceremonial bath, the deities will be adorned in the Hati Besha, or elephant attire, a tradition linked to a devotional legend. This event signifies their first public appearance outside the temple's sanctum sanctorum for the year. Thousands of devotees are expected to attend.
After the Hati Besha, the deities will enter an Anasara period of approximately 15 days. Temple tradition states they develop a divine fever and require recuperation with Ayurvedic treatments. During this time, devotees worship representative painted cloth images until the deities reappear for Netrotsav, before the Rath Yatra.
Authorities have implemented extensive security and crowd management plans. Nearly 79 platoons of police personnel are deployed. Special barricades and around 200 CCTV cameras are in place to ensure a smooth and safe festival for all attendees.
