Puri, Odisha: The sacred town of Puri is set to observe Deva Snana Purnima, the annual ceremonial bathing festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, on Monday, June 29, 2026. Also known as the Snana Yatra, the festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha and is one of the major rituals preceding the annual Rath Yatra.

Every year, lakhs of devotees gather at the Jagannath Temple to witness the grand ceremony. According to estimates, more than five lakh devotees are expected to visit Puri for this year’s festival.

As part of the traditional rituals, the deities are ceremonially brought from the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) to the Snana Mandap (Snana Bedi) in a grand procession. They are then bathed with 108 pots of ritually sanctified water drawn from the temple’s sacred Golden Well (Suna Kua).

Following the ceremonial bath, the deities are adorned in the famous Gaja Nana Besha (Hati Besha), an elephant attire symbolically associated with Lord Ganesha. This unique ritual attracts thousands of devotees every year.

According to temple tradition, after the Snana Yatra the deities are believed to fall ill due to the ceremonial bath and are kept away from public viewing for a period known as Anasara, which lasts for about 15 days. During this time, the deities are cared for according to traditional rituals under the supervision of the Raj Vaidya (royal physician) and are offered fruits, herbal preparations, and medicinal offerings as part of the customary practices.

The Anasara period concludes with the Nava Jaubana Darshan, after which the deities reappear before devotees prior to the world-famous Rath Yatra, one of India’s largest and most significant religious festivals.