Puri, Jan 21: The Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri temporarily suspended public darshan as the Bada Maha Snana, a grand purification bath ceremony, was performed for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra after traces of blood stain were discovered inside the temple.

Temple sources said servitors noticed blood stains near the Bhitara Katha area during darshan hours.. Following long-standing temple protocols, the Maha Snana ritual was immediately carried out to restore the spiritual sanctity of the deities.

Unlike the regular daily bath of the idols, the Maha Snana is a unique symbolic ritual. During the ceremony, sanctified water is poured over mirrors placed before the deities, accompanied by chanting of Vedic mantras, ensuring the divine presence is preserved while the symbolic purification takes place.

Temple officials noted that such rituals are performed whenever bodily fluids, animal intrusions, or untoward incidents occur within the temple premises. The darshan will resume once the grand bathing ritual is completed, according to temple officials.