Snana Purnima rituals begin in Puri

Rajkumar MohantyPuri, June 1: The Daitapati servitors involved in the Nabakalebara ritual since the Banajag Yatra started on March 29 Banajag entered the Sri Jagannath temple on Sunday to perform the Antah Banajag and to prepare the deities for the Snana Purnima rituals.As per the tradition, the Daita servitors would remain in charge of the deities till the annual Rath Yatra and would be relieved after the deities return home from the Yatra with the conduct of the ritual popularly called Niladri Bije.As per the Snana Purnima schedule on Monday midnight the Daita servitors would escort the deities in ceremonial Pahandi procession from the Ratna Simhasan of the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Vedi, a huge altar in the temple complex facing the Bada Danda.Pujapanda servitors would accord 108 pitchers of aromatic water bath to the deities.The holy water would be drawn from Suna Kua, a special well inside the temple complex.The Gajapati King would conduct the Chherapahanra nitee, while the Shankaracharya is scheduled to visit the deities on the Snana Vedi.After observance a complex set of nitees by the priests atop the altar the deities would be dressed in special attires looking like lord Ganesha popularly called Haati Vesha by the Singhari servitors (the dressers of the deities).Though the devotees would be allowed to go up to the Vedi to offer prayers during the Sahana Mela, they would not be allowed to touch the deities.Vesha would be completed by afternoon and continue till late in the night.It would be visible to the devotees from outside the temple compound from Bada Danda near the Simhadwar area. After conclusion of the Vesha in the midnight, the Daita servitors would escort the deities in Pahandi procession to the Anasar Ghar (sick room) where the deities would recline to bed supposedly suffering from fever for a period of about 45 days.During this period the temple physician would treat the sick deities with herbal medicine and keep them on dry and fruit diet.From Snana Purnima onwards for 45 days till observance of Nabajouban darshan of the new deities two days prior to the annual Rath Yatra, there would not be any darshan of the deities.During this period the devotees visit Alarnath temple near Brahmagiri 23 km away from Puri to offer prayers and taste the famous kheer bhog.As per some religious texts Lord Jagannath manifests in Alarnath.On the June 15 midnight, senior Daita servitors would transfer the Brahma from old ones and plant in the bodies of new idols.The new idols would replace the old and participate in the Rath Yatra, while the old idols would be buried in the Koili Baikuntha of the temple. Security Arrangements According to Asish Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police, a total of 68 platoons of police personnel would be deployed for smooth conduct of the Snana Purnima ritual one June 2 (Tuesday).Since it is the last public appearance of the present deities the administration is expecting a huge crowd of devotees to witness the grand ritual.All vehicular traffic would be regulated.As per the traffic management plan no vehicle would be allowed beyond the market square towards the temple from Monday midnight while parking of vehicles would not be allowed between the hospital square and Badasankha.All the incoming tourist buses to Puri along the Puri-Bhubaneswar NH 203 would be parked at the new Malatipatpur bus terminal.However the regular passenger, city and redline buses would be allowed to enter the city through Nabakalebara road to the city bus stand.Light and medium vehicles would be allowed to park in Talabania temporary bus stand.Brahmagiri bound vehicles coming by NH would be allowed to ply via Jatiababaji chhak and Harijan Sahi.After Jagannath Ballav light vehicle parking lot gets filled up other vehicles would be diverted to parking places at Zilla School, college compounds and Talabania parking places.The two-wheeler parking place could be made near the near the town police station area along the Bada Danda.The outgoing vehicles would use the hospital square to negotiate the NH 203 Puri-Bhubaneswar route at Atharnulla.The three-wheelers would be allowed till market square, Singh informed.