Bhubaneswar: The Jagannath Temple in Puri was temporarily closed for public darshan today due to the Maha Snana ritual, a purification ceremony performed to cleanse the deities. The ritual was necessitated after a person vomited near the Jaya Vijaya Dwara, considered a breach of temple sanctity.
According to temple sources, a devotee vomited near Jaya Vijaya Dwara on Friday. That is why the daily rituals have been held up as per tradition and Maha Snana ritual was performed. As a result, devotees were barred from darshan for an hour.
Notably, the ‘Maha Snana’ ritual does not mean that deities of Srimandir take bath. The idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are not bathed. However, the ritual is performed by pouring water on the mirrors placed in front of the idols amid chanting of mantras.
It is pertinent to mention that Maha Snana ritual is performed if a child passes urine inside the temple, if anyone vomits inside the temple, if blood stains are spotted inside the temple, if an animal dies inside the Srimandir, if a man dies inside the temple premises, if a dog is seen inside the temple premises and if a skull or skeleton is found inside the Srimandir.
