Bhubaneswar: Lakhs of devotees gathered at Odisha’s Puri town to witness the ceremonial bathing ritual of the sibling deities of Shree Jagannath Temple and Hati Besha (Elephant Attire) of the Lords on Wednesday on the occasion of Debasnana Purnima.
After the grand bath, Lord Jagannath and his elder brother Lord Balabhadra were adorned with the Hati Besha or Gajanan Besha on the Snana Bedi (bathing altar) on the premises of the 12th century shrine.
On the other hand, their sister Devi Subhadra appeared in Padma Besha (Lotus flower attire) after the bathing ritual.
The Lords were attired in Gajanan Besha soon after Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb performed Chhera Panhara (ceremonial sweeping) on the bathing altar.
This special attire of the Lords attracts lakhs of devotees every year. The sight of the Lords in this grand form is considered highly auspicious, and the devotees waited with bated breath for the divine appearance.
As per the belief, the deities catch fever soon after the bathing ritual. The ailing deities are taken to Anasara Gruha (recovery chamber) for their medication.
The deities undergo medication for 14 days at Anasara Gruha. The devotees are not allowed to visit the deities during this period. Upon their recovery from fever, the deities reappear before the devotees on the occasion of Nabajaubana Darshan, before beginning their journey towards Shri Gundicha temple for a nine-day sojourn on the occasion of Ratha Jatra.
