Thursday begins with the auspicious day of Devasnana Purnima marking the beginning of the rituals which culminate on Rath Yatra. Today marks the commencement of the rituals at Puri and various temples all across the world observe the festival on this day.
Iskcon temple Vadodara also celebrates the 39th Snana festival inside the temple premises and bathed Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra, and their sister Subhadra. As per the rituals the gods are believed to fall ill after and are kept in separate rooms. Ayurvedic medicine is offered to the lord and everyone prays for their well-being and then the doors of the temple open on the Rath Yatra day.
On Thursday 691 types of Prasad were offered to the lord in the Iskon temple. The Lord is bathed with auspicious water and fruit juices while chanting mantras inside the temple. In view of the current scenario, covid guidelines were strictly followed during the ritual.
Devasnana Purnima is an inseparable part of the famous Rath Yatra Puri. The day is believed to be the birthday of Lord Jagannatha. This day, the full moon day of the month of Jyestha, the deities are bathed by 108 pitchers of water of the well situated near the Sitala temple in the confines of the Jagannatha temple. Having been bathed, the deities are dressed up in the Gajanana or Ganesha Vesha. Then, their daily food offering or Bhogalagi is made on the Snanamandapa, in a full public view.
The rituals performed in the festival are maintained in the ‘Niladri Mohadaya’, a religious text written in the Oriya language. Devasnana Purnima or Snana Yatra, exclusively being the festival of Lord Jagannath, is believed to be one of the oldest festivals. As per the Skanda Purana, Raja Indradyumna set this bathing ceremony when he installed the wooden deities here. Apart from Puri, the festival is simultaneously celebrated in all other major shrines in Orissa. Due to its own importance and elaboration in Puri, thousands of national and international visitors visit Puri to be a part of this grand celebration.
The Vadodara Iskcon temple also observes the Snan Purnima since 1982 and deities are bathed following decade-old traditions. The temple also organizes the auspicious Rath Yatra every year and preparations are in the final stages, however, they are awaiting an order from the government in view of the covid situation.
