SNANA YATRA FOR LORD JAGANNATH – SIGNIFICANCE!
Lord Jagannath is bathed on the full-moon day, ie, sixteen days before Ratha-yatra, .
He becomes sick and is confined to rest for fourteen days.
He is then offered special care with medicinal herbs until He comes out for Ratha-yatra.
A special bath of Jagannath takes place on the Purnima of Jyestha month, to commemorate the appearance day of Lord Jagannath.
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Skanda Purana says that when the king Indradyumna installed the wooden deities, he arranged this bathing ceremony.
This day is considered to be the appearance day of Lord Jagannath.
Lord Jagannath in His early form was being worshipped as Nilamadhava.
On the previous day of Snana Yatra the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra along with the Sudarshana are ceremonially brought out from the sanctum in a procession to the Bathing pandal. This process is called Pahandi or Pahandi Vijay.
In Puri, after Mangala Aarti, the Suaras and Mahasuaras go in a ceremonial procession to fetch water from Golden well in one hundred and eight, vessels of copper and gold.
Then all the vessels with water are preserved in the Bhoga Mandap. Then they purify the water with turmeric, Benachera, Chandan, Aguru, flowers, perfumes and medicinal herbs.
The bathing festival takes place during the morning hours of the Purnima tithi. The filled vessels are carried from Bhoga Mandap to the Snana Vedi by the Suaras in a long single line procession.
Snana yatra bathing goes on for a few hours in the midst of kirtanas glorifying Their Lordships and the chanting of the maha-mantra.
After the Snana Yatra, the Deities are kept away from public view for fifteen days and during all these days the daily rites of the temple remain suspended.
When Jagannatha was absent from the temple, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who could not see Him, felt separation and left Jagannatha Puri to go to a place known as Alalanatha.
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As Jagannatha Himself instructed, after this ceremony, he is not seen for a fortnight. The Deities are kept on a special “sick room” called the Ratan vedi inside the temple.
This period is called ‘Anabasara kala’ meaning improper time for worship.
During these fifteen days the descendants of Viswavasu repaint and restore the Deities and Jagannath’s fine decorations.
On the 16th day the Deities in their new forms after renovation become ready for the public view darshan.
The festival of the first appearance of the Lord Jagannath to his devotees is called Netrotsava.
Lord Jagannath’s prasada is also offered to all visitors on the day of Snana Yatra for Lord Jagannath.
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