Bhubaneswar: In the Holy City of Puri, the Jagannath Temple is home to Lord Jagannath and his siblings, who are worshipped as tangible representations of the infinite and omnipresent Brahman. The Snana Yatra, a significant ritual in the temple’s calendar, is a celebration of devotion, tradition, and the divine bond between the deities and their devotees.
With Snana Purnima rituals underway, the temple is buzzing with the sound of Vedic mantras, the blowing of conch shells, and the soulful melodies of kirtans. On this day, the deities are given a ceremonial bath, followed by the majestic Hati Besha, where they are adorned in elephant attire, reminiscent of Lord Ganesha.
The deities are dressed in elephant attire, known as Hati Behsa, after their ceremonial bath at Snana Mandap. The costumes for the Hati Besha ritual are prepared by the artisans at Raghaba Das mutt and Gopal Tirtha mutt on Snana Purnima. After having the holy shower on the Snana Mandap, the deities are dressed like Ganesha, who bears the head of an elephant. And this Besha is known as ‘Gaja or Hati Besha’. While Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra are dressed like elephants, their sibling Devi Subhadra gives the darshan in lotus flower besha.
Story Behind Hati Besha
According to researchers, the Lord of the Universe had given darshan to Ganapati Bhatt, a staunch devotee of lord Ganesha, on the Snana Mandap on the auspicious occasion of Snana Purnima.
In the 15th century, Pandit Ganapati Bhatt visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri. He saw the deities on the Snana Mandap during Snana Purnima but felt unsatisfied as he wanted to see Lord Ganesha in Lord Jagannath.
As Pandit Ganapati Bhatt was leaving the temple disappointed, Lord Jagannath, disguised as a priest, stopped him and asked him to return. Upon returning, Bhatt was amazed to see the deities transformed, with Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra resembling Ganesha. Overwhelmed, Bhatt had his desired darshan. From then on, the deities have been dressed in Gajanan Besha (elephant attire) every year on Snana Purnima, after their ceremonial bath.
Another legend has it that scholar Ganpati Bhatta visited the Puri King’s court. The king invited him to witness the Snana Yatra, but Bhatta declined, citing his devotion to Lord Ganesha. After repeated requests, he reluctantly attended the ceremony. To his surprise, he saw Ganesha instead of Lord Jagannath, and Balabhadra also appeared as Ganesha. He realised that Jagannath and Balabhadra, in their compassion, had taken note of his wishes and taken the form of Ganesha.
Since then, the priests have adorned the deities with the Hati Besha during the bathing ceremony. This sacred ritual draws lakhs of devotees to Puri, who believe that witnessing the deities during this period will cleanse them of their sins.
