Bhubaneswar: After a two-year Covid-19 pandemic-induced hiatus, lakhs of devotees thronged the Pilgrim town of Puri to have a darshan (glimpse) of Lord Jagannath and his siblings–Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra at the Snana Mandap (bathing altar) in Hati Besha or Gaja Besha (elephant attire) on the occasion of Deba Snana Purnima today.
The deities of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan were carried in goti pahandi (carrying of the deities by the priests from Ratna Singhasan-bejewelled throne inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Srimandir) to the Snana Mandap by 7.40 AM.
The deities were bathed by the priests with 108 pitchers of water drawn by Garabadu sevayats (servitors) from the Suna Kuan (a well) inside the premises of the Srimandir.
As per rituals, 35 pots of water were used to bathe Lord Jagannath, 33 for Lord Balabhadra, 22 for Devi Subhadra, and 18 for Sudarshan.
Later as per tradition, Puri’s titular king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb-the first servitor of Lord Jagannath visited the Snana Mandap from his palace in Tamzan to pay his obeisance to the deities. He performed the Chhera Pahanra (sweeping the floor of the Snana Mandap using a broom with a golden handle) to the chanting of hymns by the priests.
Following that the deities of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra donned the Gajanan Besha (elephant attire) while their sister Devi Subhadra appeared in Padma Besha (lotus flower attire) and gave darshan to the devotees.
Behind this special ‘Gaja’ or ‘Hati Besha’ there is an anecdote.
Researchers mention that this unique darshan was given to one Pandit Ganapati Bhatt of Maharashtra’s Mahaganapatya community in the 15th century. Bhatt was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha and had visited the age-old shrine in Puri to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath.
On this Snana Purnima day, he witnessed ‘Chaturdha Murti’ (four idols) on Snana Mandap, but got disenchanted as he had wished to witness his presiding deity Lord Ganesha within Lord Jagannath.
However, Lord Jagannath is believed to have disguised as a ‘sevayat’ (temple servitor) and insisted Pandit Bhatt to return to Sri Mandir. He got overwhelmed to have the cherished darshan of Lord Ganesha on the same Snana Mandap. Thenceforth, the deities are being decked up in the enchanting ‘Gajanan Besha’ or ‘Gaja Besha’ or ‘Hati Besha’ every year on the sacred occasion.
Sahanamela darshan for devotees started at 6.00 PM. After the end of Sahanamela darshan at 9.30 PM, the deities will start returning to the anasara pindi (sick room) inside the temple at 10.00 PM by way of Goti Pahandi.
