Kendujhar: Thousands of devotees thronged Kendujhar on Saturday to witness the unique Suna Besha (golden attire) of Lord Sri Sri Baladevjew, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath on the world-famous Kendujhar Rath, regarded as the world’s tallest. Despite cloudy skies and heavy rain, devotees gathered in large numbers to have a glimpse of the richly adorned deities.
The Suna Besha ceremony saw the three deities decorated with around 16 kg of gold ornaments and 60 kg of silver ornaments, making it one of the most distinctive Rath Yatra traditions in the region.
At around 12 noon, the gold and silver ornaments were brought to the chariot from the government treasury and an SBI locker under tight security in the presence of the Sub-Collector and Executive Magistrate. The adornment of the deities was carried out thereafter amid elaborate rituals.
The Suna Besha was opened for public darshan from 3 pm and will continue till 10 pm, drawing devotees from Kendujhar and neighbouring districts.
To manage the heavy influx of pilgrims and ensure smooth conduct of the event, the district administration deployed 12 platoons of police personnel along with senior police officers at the venue. Security arrangements and crowd management measures were put in place to maintain law and order during the celebrations.
The 16th-century Sri Sri Baladevjew temple was built by King Laxmi Narayan Bhanjadeo.
