Grand 'Suna Besha' Ritual at Jagannath Temple Attracts Thousands

Hundreds of thousands of devotees witnessed the 'Suna Besha' ritual at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, where the idol of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra, were adorned with gold ornaments. The ritual, involving nearly 208 kg of gold jewellery, occurs two days after their return from the Gundicha Temple.

On Wednesday, thousands of devotees gathered at the Jagannath Temple in Puri to witness the magnificent 'Suna Besha' ritual. During this event, the deities, including Lord Jagannath and his siblings Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra, were adorned with ornate gold ornaments embedded with precious stones.

The deities' golden attire, known as 'Suna Besha', weighed nearly 208 kg and was displayed atop chariots in front of the Singha Dwar (Lion's Gate) of the historic 12th-century temple. This ritual is traditionally held two days after the deities return to Shree Jagannath Temple from their nine-day stay at the Gundicha Temple, considered their birthplace.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration chief administrator, Arabinda Padhee, mentioned that devotees could view the beautifully adorned deities until 11 pm. Puri district Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain confirmed preparations were in place for the smooth conduct of this grand event, which attracted around 15 lakh devotees.

(With inputs from agencies.)