Snana Purnima, also widely known as Snana Yatra or Devasnan Purnima, is a profoundly significant festival in the Jagannath tradition, primarily centered at the Sri Jagannatha Temple in Puri, Odisha. It is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha.

This festival is marked as the birth anniversary of the deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra. It commemorates the day when King Indradyumna first installed the deities and performed their inaugural bathing ceremony, as described in the Skanda Purana.

On this day, the deities are brought out from the inner sanctum in a grand procession called Pahandi Bije to the Snana Bedi (bathing platform). There, they are ceremonially bathed with many pots of sanctified water within the temple premises. Following the bath, the deities are adorned in a unique Hati Vesha (elephant attire), which resembles Lord Ganesha. This tradition is linked to a legend where Lord Jagannath manifested in an elephant form to satisfy the desire of a devoted follower of Lord Ganesha.

A unique aspect of this festival is that it is believed the deities fall ill after their elaborate bath. Consequently, they are moved to a period of seclusion known as Anasara for 15 days. During this time, they are not seen by the public, are treated with herbal medicines by the Raj Vaidya (royal physician), and are prepared for their reappearance at the time of the Rath Yatra.

Because it is one of the few occasions when the deities are brought out of the sanctum for public darshan, the festival attracts a massive gathering of devotees who come to experience the grace of the Lord in an accessible, open setting. Devotees believe that witnessing the Lord during this bathing ceremony cleanses them of all sins and bestows divine blessings.

🌿🌸🌿🌿🌸🌿🌿🌸🌿🌿🌸🌿🌿🌸🌿🌿🌸🌿