Kolkata: The Snan Yatra of Lord Jagannath, ahead of Rath Yatra, isn’t just a festive ritual. It is a common thread of divinity that binds the neighbouring states of Odisha and Bengal. When Lord Jagannath bathed in Puri, the ritual was also observed in a heritage town and at a household in Bengal.
In Bengal’s Mahesh, the r
itual was observed at the centuries-old Jagannath temple there. One of the significant element of the celebration here is the royal umbrella.
The Snan Yatra at Mahesh temple, where the second oldest Rath Yatra in the world is held after Puri, cannot begin until the ceremonial “Rajchotra” or the umbrella arrives from the ‘Sheoraphuli Rajbari’ or house of the King. According to the locals, this has been a decree set in stone by their ancestors, who historically sustained and managed the Mahesh temple ecosystem.
The ritual at Mahesh entered its 630th year, according to the temple administration. To perform this ritual, 108 pots or Kalash are used for bathing Lord Jagannath. A special Yagna was also performed, besides the deity drapping the ‘gaja besha’.
The rituals were also performed at a household in Ambari in North Bengal. The Chanda residence in this place has been performing the bathing ritual since last 80 years in a humble manner.