Digha Jagannath temple prepares for grand ‘snan yatra’
The Statesman | 11 June 2025
The coastal town of Digha in West Bengal is abuzz with religious fervour as preparations are underway for the grand Snan Yatra of Lord Jagannath on Wednesday, 11 June. The event, which marks the ceremonial bathing of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, is being organised in strict adherence to traditional rituals, similar to the celebrations in Puri.
On Tuesday, the detailed schedule of rituals and festivities was formally announced by Radharaman Das, a trustee of the Jagannath Temple in Digha as well as a trustee of ISKCON Kolkata. The Snan Yatra is part of a larger pre-Rath Yatra festival that will culminate with the chariot festival on 27 June. According to the temple authorities, the festivities will commence at 9 a.m. on 11 June with the Pahandi Vijay – a ceremonial procession in which the deities are taken from the sanctum sanctorum to the bathing altar. This will be followed by the Snan Yatra at 11 a.m, where the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshan will be bathed in public view at a specially constructed mandap to the left of the temple entrance. Following the bathing ritual, devotees will have the opportunity to witness Gajavesh Darshan – a special appearance of the deities in elephant attire – from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. Temple authorities have informed that from 12 June to 25 June, the deities will be kept away from public view during the traditional Anavasara period, when they are believed to fall ill after the elaborate bath.
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Darshan will resume on 26 June, a day before the much-anticipated Rath Yatra.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Kolkata has also announced its Snan Yatra celebrations, which will be held at Nazrul Mancha near Rabindra Sarobar on Wednesday. The event will take place between 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and will include public darshan and ritual bathing. Radharaman Das, who also serves as the vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata and trustees of Digha Jagannath temple, said the temple has begun making arrangements to accommodate the expected turnout of devotees.