The coastal town of Puri is preparing for the annual Snana Yatra (Bathing Festival) of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. This significant ritual, also known as Deva Snana Purnima, marks the birthday celebration of the deities and is observed on the full moon day of the Jyestha month in the Hindu almanac.
During the festival, the deities will be brought to the bathing platform where servitors will pour 108 pitchers of water mixed with sandalwood paste, camphor, and other substances over them. Following this, the siblings will be adorned with elephant masks in a ritual called the ‘Gajanana Besha.’
After the bathing ritual, the deities will be placed in an isolation chamber inside the temple known as Anasara Gruha, where they will stay for 15 days until the Ratha Yatra. The district administration, police, and other departments have made extensive arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, expecting a large gathering of devotees from across the state and country.
The security measures include deploying around 80 platoons of police personnel inside and around the Jagannath Temple and at strategic locations in Puri to manage traffic and crowd movement. Advanced security measures such as Quick Action Teams, sniffer dog squads, rooftop surveillance, and marine security arrangements have also been implemented to ensure a safe environment for devotees.
