Finance
On the occasion of Snana Purnima, devotees will be able to see Lord Jagannath and his siblings for the first time in two years at the Snana Mandap in Puri temple, officials said on Tuesday.
This decision was made at a meeting of the temple management committee here on Tuesday, presided over by Puri king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.
Notably, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, devotees were barred from seeing the deities for two years in a row. Due to the pandemic, the Rath Yatra was also held without devotee participation in 2020 and 2021.
V.V. Yadav, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), told reporters after the meeting, “We are making all arrangements so that devotees can avail smooth darshan of Lord Jagannath during Snana Purnima and all other rituals, when devotees were allowed in previous years.”
This year, devotees can catch a glimpse of the deities’ Hati Besa after the ceremonial bath at the Snana Mandap within the temple complex. The Snana Purnima is scheduled for June 14.
The devotees will be given three hours to have darshan. According to a member of the management committee, devotees are not permitted to touch the deities at Snana Mandap.
Yadav also stated that the committee has finalized the schedule for various rituals starting from Snana Purnima to Niladri Bije.
A detailed discussion was also held on the formation of a society for the establishment of a Gurukul for the children of servants. He added that an MOU will be signed with the Birla Foundation for this purpose.
