Puri: Lakhs of devotees thronged Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri on Saturday to witness ‘Suna Besha’ as Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra dazzled in elaborate gold ornaments on their respective chariots parked near the Lions’ Gate of the 12th century shrine.
As per tradition, Suna Besha ritual is observed on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi on the 11th bright fortnight in the month of Asadha once the sibling deities return to Shree Jagannath Temple after the annual sojourn to the Gundicha Temple, considered their birthplace.
Devotees from different parts of the country and even abroad descended on the seaside pilgrim town as the Trinity donned resplendent attire of gold ornaments.
As per sources, the sibling deities were adorned with gold ornaments and jewellery weighing around 208 kg, a tradition believed to have begun in the 15th century.
Officials said devotees will be able to witness the deities in golden attire till 11 pm. The district administration of Puri has made elaborate arrangements for smooth darshan for the massive crowd before the golden attires are removed around 11 pm.
The gold ornaments, stored in the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhadar treasury, included hands, feet, third eyes, crowns, peacock feathers, earrings, necklaces, lotus, and conch. These are escorted to the chariots by armed security personnel, temple officials, and priests.
During this special ritual, the holy trinity are decorated with gold ornaments. Lord Jagannath is adorned with a chakra (disc) made of gold on the right hand while a silver conch would adorn his left hand. Similarly, Lord Balabhadra is decorated with a plough made of gold on the left hand and a golden mace on his right hand. Devi Subhadra’s forehead is decorated with an emerald (panna).
According to researchers, the “Suna Besha” ritual began in 1460 AD during the reign of King Kapilendra Deb, who donated gold and diamonds to the temple after his victories in southern India. Initially, the deities were adorned with 138 designs of gold ornaments, though this number has now reduced to 20-30, with the designs remaining unchanged. The ornaments are repaired as needed using raw gold donated by pilgrims.
The deities are adorned in golden jewellery five times a year: once outside the temple during Rath Yatra and four times inside during Dussehra, Kartika Purnima, Pausa Purnima, and Dola Purnima.
Security personnel in strength have been deployed to prevent any untoward incidents while special teams guarded the gold ornaments of the deities. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, drones and AI-powered cameras were used to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have also been created in and around Puri, while latest technology was used to monitor and control movement of vehicles from Bhubaneswar towards the pilgrim town.
It may be noted that the sibling deities had embarked on their journey to Gundicha Temple for a nine-day sojourn by riding their chariots on the Grand Road on the occasion of Rath Yatra on July 16. The Trinity returned to Srimandir on Friday after their annual stay at Gundicha Temple.
According to the schedule, the deities will be offered Adhara Pana (a delicious drink) on their chariots on July 26 (Sunday). The deities will be taken back to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine from the chariots in a Pahandi procession on the occasion of Niladri Bije on July 27 (Monday).
