The Lord Falls Ill after Divine Shower

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Snana Mandapa

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Jun 13, 2014 — JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — Braving a painful 43.6° Celsius (110.5° F.) and unbearable humidity, a sea of devotees thronged Puri on Friday and watched the annual Debasnana Purnima at Jagannatha Temple.

Devotees made a beeline for the front of the 12th century shrine from early morning to view Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra being given ceremonial bath. Debasnan Purnima is a major festival observed prior to Rath Yatra. This year's Rath Yatra is on June 29th.

Chera Pahnara

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

After being escorted out of the temple's sanctum sanctorum, the Deities were ferried to the bathing altar located at the outer temple complex, facing the Grand Road. Their Lordships were given ceremonial bath following completion of a set of rituals.

Gaja Besha

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

"A total 108 pitchers of aromatic and herbal water was fetched from suna kua of the temple. The well would remain unused till the next year's bathing ceremony. Thereafter the Deities were decorated in elephant attire symbolizing the incarnation of Lord Ganesha," said Laxmidhar Pujapanda, the Public Relations Officer of the temple.

Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

The Triad Siblings will remain out of bounds for devotees for a fortnight, having fallen ill after taking Their grand bath. The Deities, whose daily rituals are the perfected embodiment of activities in human lifetime, will undergo treatment by the shrine vaidyas (ayurveda doctors) for fifteen days, thus no one may have a glimpse of the ailing Gods on these days.

Joyful Devotees get darshan of Their Lordships

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Earlier in the day, the rituals of the Deities were delayed for several hours following a reported altercation between two sections of priests. "We have ordered an in-house inquiry to know as to why the rituals were delayed," another temple officer said.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Since the reigning Gods will remain inaccessible for fifteen days, pilgrims can have darshan of the representative Deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the temple during these days.

Puri Security

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

"The representatives of the Deities Lord Basudeva, devi Bhubaneswari and Narayan would be painted on a canvas and kept inside the sanctum sanctorum," the temple PRO informed.

Bhakta Greets the Lord

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Braving the blistering heat of Puri Dhama

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]