Jagannath Snan Yatra (also called Snana Purnima) is a significant and sacred bathing festival associated with Lord Jagannath in Puri, Odisha, India. It marks the ceremonial public bathing of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, and it serves as a prelude to the Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival).
🕉️ Key Details of Jagannath Snan Yatra:
- Date: Celebrated on Jyeshtha Purnima (the full moon day in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha), usually falling in May or June.
- Location: Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha.
- Deities Involved: Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Sudarshana Chakra.
🔱 Rituals and Significance:
- Snana Bedi (Bathing Platform):
- The deities are brought out from the sanctum to a special platform called the Snana Mandap or Snana Bedi.
- This is the only time (before the Rath Yatra) that the deities are publicly displayed for all devotees.
- Sacred Bathing:
- 108 pots of purified and sanctified water from the golden well inside the temple are used to bathe the deities.
- The ritual is meant to purify and energize the deities.
- Anasara (Rest Period):
- After the bathing ritual, the deities are believed to fall ill due to the heavy shower of cold water.
- They are kept hidden from public view for about 15 days in a special chamber called Anasara Ghar.
- During this period, no darshan is allowed, and the deities are offered special herbal preparations to help them recover.
- Netrotsava and Rath Yatra:
- At the end of the Anasara period, the deities are given a new appearance (Netrotsava) and are then taken out during the Rath Yatra (Car Festival), their grand annual journey to Gundicha Temple.
🌸 Cultural and Spiritual Meaning:
- The Snan Yatra symbolizes purification, rebirth, and devotional renewal.
- It offers an opportunity for devotees who cannot enter the main sanctum to have darshan of the deities.
- The temporary withdrawal of the deities during Anasara also signifies the mortal vulnerability of divine beings and the cyclical nature of health and renewal.
