Puri: Lakhs of devotees thronged Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri on Wednesday to witness ‘Suna Besha’ as Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra adorned in elaborate gold ornaments on their respective chariots parked at Simhadwar.
As per tradition, Suna Besha ritual is held place two days after the sibling deities return to Simhadwar of Shree Jagannath Temple following their nine-day sojourn at Gundicha Temple, considered their birthplace.
Devotees from different parts of the country and even abroad descended on the seaside pilgrim town as the Trinity donned resplendent attire of gold ornaments.
As per sources, the sibling deities were adorned with gold ornaments and jewellery weighing around 208 kg, a tradition believed to have begun in the 15th century. Devotees will be able to witness the deities in golden attire till 11 pm. The district administration of Puri has made elaborate arrangements for smooth darshan for the massive crowd before the golden attires are removed around 11 pm.
The gold ornaments, stored in the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhadar treasury, included hands, feet, third eyes, crowns, peacock feathers, earrings, necklaces, lotus, and conch. These are escorted to the chariots by armed security personnel, temple officials, and priests.
During this special ritual, the holy trinity are decorated with gold ornaments. Lord Jagannath is adorned with a chakra (disc) made of gold on the right hand while a silver conch would adorn his left hand. Similarly, Lord Balabhadra is decorated with a plough made of gold on the left hand and a golden mace on his right hand. Devi Subhadra’s forehead is decorated with an emerald (panna).
As per researchers, the “Suna Besha” ritual began in 1460 AD during the reign of King Kapilendra Deb, who donated gold and diamonds to the temple after his victories in southern India. Initially, the deities were adorned with 138 designs of gold ornaments, though this number has now reduced to 20-30, with the designs remaining unchanged. The ornaments are repaired as needed using raw gold donated by pilgrims.
The deities are adorned in golden jewellery five times a year: once outside the temple during Rath Yatra and four times inside during Dussehra, Kartika Purnima, Pausa Purnima, and Dola Purnima.
Around 180 platoons of police force have been deployed to prevent any untoward incidents while five platoons will guard the gold ornaments of the deities. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, drones and AI-powered cameras will be used to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have also been created in and around Puri.
Over 15 lakh devotees are expected to gather at the Bada Danda, the Grand Road, in the pilgrim town to witness Suna Besha in front of the 12th century shrine.
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