Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra were adorned with special attires at the Jagannath Temple in Puri during the sacred Snana Jatra on Monday.
Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra appeared in Hati Besha (elephant attire), while Devi Subhadra was decorated in Padma Besha (lotus attire) soon after the ceremonial bath at the Snana Bedi of the 12th-century shrine.
Servitors decorated the deities following the Chhera Panhara ritual performed by Gajapati King Dibyasingha Deb. Thousands of devotees thronged Puri to catch a glimpse of the divine elephant attire, a tradition steeped in legend. According to lore, Lord Jagannath once appeared as Lord Ganesh to a devotee named Ganapati Bhatt on Snana Bedi in the 15th century.
Traditionally, Raghab Das and Gopal Tirtha mutts provide the elephant attire for the deities. After the bathing ritual, devotees believe the deities catch fever and are taken to the Anasara Gruha (isolation room) for 14 days of medication. During this period, devotees cannot see the deities.
The deities reappear for Nabajauban Darshan after recovery, before embarking on the grand Rath Yatra to Srigundicha temple.
