Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi Attends Lord Jagannath’s Snana Utsav
The holy city of Puri witnessed a spiritual spectacle as Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated in the auspicious Snana Utsav of Lord Jagannath, marking the ceremonial beginning of the annual Rath Yatra festivities.
Snana Utsav is an important religious ritual where the sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra — are brought out of the sanctum sanctorum and bathed with 108 pots of sacred water. This act symbolizes divine purification and signifies the deities’ public appearance before they retire for a fortnight, believed to recover from a symbolic fever before the grand chariot procession.
Draped in religious fervor and chants, thousands of devotees gathered to witness this divine ceremony. CM Majhi, along with key temple officials and priests, offered prayers and joined in the traditional rituals. Speaking on the occasion, he called it a “moment of deep devotion and pride” and reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Odisha’s rich spiritual heritage.
This year’s Snana Yatra holds special significance as it is being celebrated in a peaceful and well-organized manner following new security and crowd-management measures introduced by the state government.
The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is one of the most awaited Hindu festivals worldwide. It sees the majestic wooden chariots of the three deities being pulled through the streets of Puri by lakhs of devotees, symbolizing the journey of the divine to meet devotees outside the temple.
As preparations for the Rath Yatra ramp up, Snana Utsav serves as a spiritual curtain-raiser, blending tradition, faith, and massive public participation.
