Patna: The Iskcon temple on Buddha Marg in Patna came alive with religious fervour and celebration on Monday as hundreds of devotees gathered to mark ‘Shri Jagannath Snan Utsav’, the sacred bathing festival of Lord Jagannath, observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha.The festivities began with the melodious chanting of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna”, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere throughout the temple. Lord Jagannath, along with Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, was ceremonially bathed with ‘Panchagavya’, a sacred mixture comprising milk, honey, ghee, fragrance, and Ganga water, followed which thousand pots of sanctified water in accordance with ancient traditions.Following the elaborate ‘abhishek’ (anointment), devotees offered the traditional Chhappan Bhog—a grand spread of 56 food offerings—to the deities. The highlight of the celebrations was the much-awaited Gajavesha Darshan, during which Lord Jagannath was adorned in the majestic form of an elephant, drawing large crowds of devotees eager to witness the rare spectacle. The celebrations concluded with a grand maha aarti and the distribution of mahaprasad among all those present.Addressing devotees during the Jagannath discourse, ISKCON TMC chairman Raman Manohar Das explained the spiritual significance of Snan Purnima. He said the tradition dates back to King Indradyumna, who organised the first ceremonial bath of Lord Jagannath after installing the wooden deity at Puri.“According to tradition, the Lord falls ill after the ceremonial bath due to the cold water and enters a 15-day period known as Anasar, during which the deities remain away from public view and are offered herbal preparations and simple sattvik food. After this period of rest and recovery, Lord Jagannath emerges for the world-famous Rath Yatra on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya,” he explained.TMC member Radhapati Charan Das also narrated the legend behind the Gajavesha. He said a devoted worshipper of Lord Ganesha named Ganapati Bhatt once wished to behold his beloved deity in Lord Jagannath. “Moved by his devotion, Lord Jagannath appeared before him in the form of an elephant on Snan Purnima. Since then, adorning the Lord in Gajavesha has become an enduring tradition during the Snan Yatra celebrations,” he added.Large number of devotees, and temple functionaries, including TMC member Venu Vinod Das, participated in the celebrations, making the festival a vibrant display of devotion, tradition and spiritual joy.
