Bhubaneswar, June 29 -- Thousands of devotees from across Odisha and other parts of the country thronged the pilgrim town of Puri on Monday to witness the Snana Purnima, the ceremonial public bathing of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, marking one of the most significant rituals preceding the annual Rath Yatra.
The deities were brought in a majestic ceremonial procession, known as Pahandi, from the sanctum sanctorum of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to the Snana Mandap (bathing altar), accompanied by the idol of Sudarshan amid the chanting of hymns, blowing of conch shells and beating of traditional drums.
At the bathing altar, temple servitors performed the sacred Snana Jatra by bathing the deities with 108 pitchers ...