‘Maha Snana’ ritual performed at Puri Jagannath temple after servitor’s injury

Bhubaneswar, March 22: The sacred ‘Maha Snana’ ritual was conducted at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Saturday after a servitor sustained injuries, causing bleeding within the 12th-century shrine premises.

According to reports, the servitor, who was carrying water for temple rituals, slipped and fell, sustaining injuries that led to excessive bleeding. The temple administration promptly arranged for his immediate medical attention, and he was shifted to a local hospital for first aid.

Following the incident, temple authorities ordered the Maha Snana ritual to purify the sanctum. During this special cleansing ritual, darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra was temporarily halted. Unlike the daily bathing of the deities, Maha Snana is performed by pouring water on mirrors placed before the idols, accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras.

Sources confirmed that public entry to the shrine was restricted during the ritual. Once the Maha Snana was completed and all purification rites were observed, darshan was resumed for devotees.