Bhubaneswar, July 1 -- Sydney' Jagannath Temple marked its first Debasnana Purnima with the rare Gajanana Besha, as hundreds of devotees witnessed a slice of Odisha's Puri's centuries-old traditions in Australia.

The temple, which was consecrated in March this year by Raja Purohita Surya Narayan Dash Sharma from the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha observed the rituals in keeping with traditional practices.

Organised by Shree Jagannatha Consciousness ANZ, the celebrations began with the traditional Pahandi procession. The ceremonial bathing of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra was followed by the rare Gajanana Besha, one of the most significant rituals associated with Debasnana Purnima.

Devotees from across Sydney...