Golden Splendour Unfolds In Puri As Lord Jagannath And Siblings Dazzle In Divine Suna Besha
The temple servitors began adorning the deities with the traditional gold ornaments after the completion of the afternoon rituals, including Madhyahna Dhoopa and Mailam.
Bhubaneswar: Lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad gathered in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri on Saturday to witness the spectacular Suna Besha ritual, during which Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were adorned with elaborate gold ornaments atop their chariots parked before the Lion’s Gate of the 12th-century Srimandir.
The sibling deities were decorated with the magnificent golden attire in the evening, a day after their return from the Gundicha Temple following the completion of their nine-day sojourn during the Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of the annual Rath Yatra.
The temple servitors began adorning the deities with the traditional gold ornaments after the completion of the afternoon rituals, including Madhyahna Dhoopa and Mailam. The ornaments, taken out from the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Srimandir under tight security, included Sri Hasta (golden hands), Sri Payar (golden feet), Sri Mukuta (golden crowns), Sri Mayur Chandrika (golden peacock feather), Sri Kundal (golden earrings), Sri Rahurekha (golden aura) and Sri Mala (gold necklace).
It took the servitors more than an hour to complete the elaborate decoration of the deities. The sight of the Holy Trinity glittering in gold on their majestic chariots drew a sea of devotees along the Grand Road, who waited patiently for a glimpse of the divine spectacle.
The district administration deployed thousands of security personnel and implemented special crowd management measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the ritual. Traffic restrictions and diversion plans were also put in place to manage the heavy rush of pilgrims in the Holy City.
Traditionally, Suna Besha is observed five times a year. While the ritual is held four times inside the sanctum sanctorum of Srimandir, it is conducted once on the chariots during the annual Rath Yatra, making it one of the most revered public appearances of the deities.
According to temple tradition, the Suna Besha ritual was introduced in 1460 during the reign of Gajapati King Kapilendra Deb, who is believed to have donated vast quantities of gold and silver ornaments to Srimandir after his military conquests.
The annual Rath Yatra began on July 16, when Lord Jagannath and His siblings embarked on their journey to the Gundicha Temple. After a nine-day stay, the deities returned to Srimandir on July 25 following the Bahuda Yatra.
As per the ritual calendar, the deities will be offered Adhara Pana, a special ceremonial drink, on their chariots on Sunday. The festivities will conclude with Niladri Bije on July 27, when the deities will return to the sanctum sanctorum of Srimandir through the traditional Pahandi procession.
