Deities Adorned with Golden Attire During Suna Besha in Puri

Puri: The Holy Town of Puri witnessed the grand spectacle of Suna Besha on Sunday, as Lord Jagannath and his divine siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, were adorned with gold ornaments while seated on their chariots in front of the Lions’ Gate of the 12th-century Srimandir.

The deities had returned from their nine-day sojourn to the Srigundicha temple during Bahuda Jatra on July 5, riding their majestic chariots along the Grand Road. Following the completion of Madhyahna Dhoopa, Mailam, and other key rituals in the afternoon, Srimandir servitors began the elaborate decoration for Suna Besha, the Golden Attire ceremony.

The ritual, which took over an hour, saw the deities adorned with exquisite gold ornaments including Sri Hasta (golden hands), Sri Payar (golden feet), Sri Mukuta (golden crown), Sri Mayur Chandrika (golden peacock feather), Sri Kundal (golden earrings), Sri Rahurekha (golden aura), and Sri Mala (gold necklaces). These ornaments were brought to the chariots under tight security from a temporary strongroom on the temple premises, where they had been stored since the Srimandir treasury (Ratna Bhandar) was taken up for repairs last year.

To manage the large gathering of devotees and ensure smooth conduct of the ritual, the administration deployed around 200 platoons of police along the Grand Road. Several measures were also put in place to regulate traffic and crowd movement across Puri.

Traditionally, the Suna Besha ritual is observed five times a year, with four occasions held inside the sanctum sanctorum of Srimandir and one on the chariots during the annual Ratha Jatra. According to historical records, the ritual was introduced during the reign of Gajapati King Kapilendra Deb in 1460 AD. The king had offered a vast treasure of gold and silver ornaments to Srimandir after winning several military campaigns across Odisha.

This year, the Ratha Jatra festivities began on June 27, when the deities set out for Srigundicha temple. After an overnight halt, they reached Saradhabali on June 28 and were escorted to the Adapa Mandap the following day.

As per the schedule, the deities will be offered Adhara Pana, a sacred drink, on July 7 while still on their chariots. The final phase of the festival, known as Niladri Bije, will be held on July 8, when the deities return to the sanctum sanctorum of Srimandir in a grand Pahandi procession.