Ahead of Rath Yatra on June 27, Digha Jagannath temple is celebrating ‘Snan Yatra’ or the sacred bathing ritual on Wednesday, June 11 which falls on the auspicious Purnima tithi of Jyeshtha month of the Hindu calendar.

The idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were bathed with 108 varieties of water in the morning, dressed in a special way known as ‘Gajavesh’ and were offered Chappan Bhog, comprising 56 different items.

Ratha Yatra 2025 is special for West Bengal because this is the first time the three Rathas or Chariots will commence their journey from the premises of Digha Jagannath Dham temple after its inauguration in April. The temple was inaugurated on April 30 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

Mangoes and Jackfruit from Mamata Banerjee’s garden for Lord Jagannath

Meanwhile West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent jackfruits and mangoes from the garden of her Kalighat residence in Kolkata as offering for the Snan Yatra festival. The fruits reached Digha Jagannath temple early morning on Wednesday.

“Fruits sent by the Chief Minister will be served to Lord Jagannath along with 56 Bhog after his bath,” informed International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Vice-President Radharaman Das, who is in charge of Digha Jagannath temple.

Snan Yatra water collected from 108 different sources

Lord Jagannath’s Snan Yatra at Digha Jagannath temple was performed with water collected from 108 pilgrimage sites. Along with 108 varieties of water, the idols are also bathed in sandalwood paste, fruit juice and Panchamrit, which is a sacred, holy drink in Hinduism, typically made from a blend of five ingredients: milk, curd (yogurt), ghee (clarified butter), honey, and mishri (rock candy).

Gajavesh Darshan

After the sacred bath, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra (aka Balaram) and Devi Subhadra will be dressed up in special attire called Gajavesh. Following this, the deities will be available for Darshan to the visitors from 3 pm till 9 pm.

Digha Jagannath Dham Doors to be shut for visitors after Snan Yatra

Doors to the sanctum sanctorum of Digha’s Jagannath Dham temple will remain closed for visitors after June 11 as part of Rath Yatra preparations. Rath Yatra will be celebrated in Odisha, West Bengal and other parts of India on June 27, which as per Bengali calendar falls in the month of Ashadh.

Jagannath Dev’s Snan Yatra ceremony was performed on Wednesday, June 11 after which the three idols will remain unavailable for ‘Darshan’ for the masses until Rath Yatra as per the festival’s tradition. Temple doors will reopen for the common people on June 26, one day before Rath Yatra.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to attend Rath Yatra celebrations commencing from the Jagannath temple in Digha, Purba Medinipur district.

As per a visitor count revealed by Digha Jagannath Dham authorities, the temple has witnessed a footfall of more than 40 lakh visitors ever since its inauguration on April 30.

56 Bhog will not be served during this period

ISKCON Vice-President Radharaman Das has said as per traditions, it is believed that after taking bath on ‘Snan Yatra’, Jagannath Dev falls sick, so he is kept in isolation temporarily till Rath Yatra just like we used to live in quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even Jagannath Dev’s Chhappan Bhog (56 Bhog) will not be served during this period.