Devotees witness Lord Jagannath’s sacred bathing in Puri amidst tight security and AI surveillance

Puri witnessed a massive congregation of devotees on Wednesday, as lakhs gathered to witness the ceremonial bathing rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries were also present at the 12th-century temple premises, where the sacred 'Snana Mandap' served as the open pandal for the auspicious Deva Snana Purnima festival. The deities were brought to the elevated pedestal with the traditional ‘pahandi’ procession, offering devotees a rare opportunity for public darshan of the bathing rituals.

The 'Pahandi ritual' commenced early, with Shree Sudarshan being the first to be moved from the shrine to the bathing altar by 5:45 AM, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath. The entire procession concluded by 8:55 AM. Later in the day, amid the chanting of Vedic mantras, 108 pitchers of sacred water, drawn from the 'Sunakua' located within the temple premises, were poured over the idols around 12:20 PM. Following this, Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, was scheduled to perform a ceremonial sweeping of the 'Snana Mandap', after which the deities would be adorned in the magnificent “Gaja Vesha”.

Deva Snana Purnima holds immense significance as it marks the full moon day in the month of Jyestha and is considered the birthday of Lord Jagannath. This is the only occasion in a year when the wooden idols are brought out of the sanctum sanctorum in a grand procession for these specific bathing rituals. Following the extensive bath, the deities will retreat to the 'Anasara Ghar' for a period of 14 days, during which they are believed to fall ill and will be treated with herbal medicines by the temple 'Baidya'. Public darshan will remain closed until 'Nabajouban darshan' on June 26, a day prior to the annual Rath Yatra on June 27.

To manage the massive crowd and ensure the smooth conduct of the rituals, security arrangements in Puri were significantly tightened. Seventy platoons of force and 450 officers were deployed both inside and outside the temple, as well as along the seaside. Barricades were erected to facilitate the orderly movement of devotees, and for the first time, police utilized AI-based surveillance cameras, linked to a new integrated control room, for real-time monitoring of the crowd and overall security.