Puri, Jul 21: The Jagannath Temple in Puri has temporarily closed for public darshan on Monday as the Maha Snana, a grand purification bath ceremony, of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, was performed after a child vomited inside the temple.
In response, the temple authorities promptly conducted the Maha Snana, a sacred purification ritual, temporarily suspending public darshan for about an hour.
The incident occurred after the Abakasa ritual.
Unlike the regular bathing of the deities, Maha Snana is a unique and symbolic ceremony. During this ritual, sanctified water is poured over mirrors placed before the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras. This ensures that the divine presence is not directly exposed while the symbolic purification takes place.
Such rituals are mandated whenever there is an occurrence of bodily fluids, human or animal death, or even animal intrusion within the temple premises. Another similar cleansing process known as Sodha is carried out periodically to maintain the spiritual hygiene of the temple.
Tags: prameyanews
