Ananya Lohia , Puri - Lakhs of devotees gathered in Puri today to witness the sacred Deva Snana Purnima, marking the ceremonial beginning of the annual Rath Yatra celebrations.

Amid chants and devotional music, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan were taken in the traditional Pahandi procession from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Mandap. As per centuries-old traditions, the deities were ceremonially bathed with 108 pitchers of sanctified water drawn from the sacred Sunakua (Golden Well) within the temple premises.

Following the ritual bath, the deities were adorned in the distinctive Gajanana or Hati Besha attire, a major attraction for devotees. The deities will now remain in ritual seclusion during the fortnight-long Anasara period before reappearing for Naba Jaubana Darshana ahead of the Rath Yatra.

The grand observance once again highlighted the spiritual and cultural significance of Lord Jagannath's traditions, drawing pilgrims from across India and abroad.