The revered chariot festival of Lord Jagannath traditionally gains its momentum with the celebration of Sanan Yatra, the divine bath of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
As per the Hindu calendar, today marked an auspicious occasion. The deities, Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra—were bathed in holy Ganges water, milk, and a fragrant blend of vermilion and sandalwood. The ritual bathing began at 7 a.m.
The Sanan Yatra celebrations at Mahesh in Serampore have entered their 629th year. Hundreds of devotees gathered to witness the sacred bathing ceremony, yearning for a glimpse of the holy deities being sanctified with Ganges water and milk.
Piyal Adhikari, secretary of the Mahesh Jagannath Temple Trust and son of chief Sebayit Soumen Adhikari, explained that the appearance of the Nilkantha bird atop the Mahesh Jagannath Temple marks the beginning of the Snan Yatra. The divine bird then symbolically proceeds towards Nilachal, the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Since time immemorial, these sacred rituals have been meticulously observed. Twenty-eight pitchers of holy Ganges water are collected during the Bengali month of Bhadra, on a specific day when the river swells with a tidal bore. During the Snan Yatra, 65 litres of fresh milk, infused with vermilion and sandalwood essence, is poured over the three deities, seated high on a platform facing the snan piri math, while the historic chariot stands majestically nearby, awaiting the Lord’s forthcoming journey to his aunt’s abode.
This year, the maha abhishek (grand anointment) was performed using 108 sacred ritual items. The deities will remain on the snan bedi (ritual platform) throughout the day, adorned in various divine attires, giving darshan to devotees. The day’s rituals will conclude with bhog aarti, and by 10 p.m, the deities will be ceremoniously returned to the sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) and placed upon the ratna bedi.
As per custom, the temple will remain closed until 24 June, when the Lord will give jhalak darshan (a brief divine appearance) at 6 p.m. for just ten minutes. On 25 June, the temple doors will reopen, and on 27 June, the grand Ratha Yatra, to Masir Bari (their aunt’s house) will commence.