Bhubaneswar: Suna Besha and Pushya Abhishek rituals will be observed at Jagannath Temple in Puri today.
According to legend, this day marks the coronation of Lord Ram as the king of Ayodhya, after his 14-year exile. On Poush Purnima, servitors of the Puri Jagannath temple perform the ‘Raja Rajeswar’ or ‘Suna Besha’ of the sibling deities on the ‘Ratna Singhasan’. The deities are adorned with gold ornaments to mark the occasion. It is believed that the Gods and saints congregate at the sea beach in Puri on this auspicious day.
As per scriptures, the Pushyabhishek ceremony is a royal coronation, where the Lord is anointed with sacred water and adorned with golden attire. Devotees believe that witnessing this ceremony will absolve them of sins and grant them a place in Vaikuntha. So, devotees in large numbers throng the temple to witness Suna Besha of the sibling deities. Suna Besha is observed five times in a year.
It is pertinent to mention that the name ‘Suna Besha’ is a combination of two words, ‘Suna’ meaning “gold” and ‘Besha’ meaning “costume”. Suna Besha event is observed on Bahuda Ekadashi during the Rath Yatra, while the other four Suna Beshas are observed inside the temple on the Ratna Singhasana.
Suna Besha on Pousha Purnima is one of the five Suna Beshas of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, performed in a year, which is why the temple administration has made special arrangements to ensure smooth darshan of the sibling deities inside the shrine.
