Puri temple committee allows devotees to take part in annual festivities after two-year gap

After a gap of two years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees will once again be alowed to take part in the Puri Jagannath Snana Yatra. The Puri district administration and the Shree Jagannath Temple administration are making preparations to ensure  a smooth conduct of the Snana Yatra (bathing ceremony), which will be held in Puri, Odisha, on June 14.

The decision was announced by the temple adminstration following a preparatory meeting with the Daitapati Nijog servitors on Thursday. In a first, devotees will be allowed on the Snana Bedi (bathing altar) for the darshan of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on the occasion of Deba Snana Purnima — a bathing ritual for the deities. The meeting was chaired by the temple's Chief Administrator Vir Bikram Yadav.

"The Deva Snana Purnima of the Holy Trinity will be held on June 14. To ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, the chief administrator held discussions with members of the Daitapati, Puspalak, Pujapanda, Pratihari, Khuntia, and Suarmahasuar Nijogs. We will iron out details in our next meeting," Temple Ritual Administrator Jitendra Sahu said.