Over 208 kg of gold and jewels grace deities on chariots in Puri’s grand ‘Suna Besha’
As part of the annual Puri Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath and his siblings were adorned with 208 kg of gold ornaments in the historic 'Suna Besha' ritual. The temple committee plans to craft a new ornament set using devotee donations
Puri: Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be adorned with about 208 kg of gold ornaments during the ‘Suna Besha’ ritual on chariots, being conducted here on Saturday as part of the annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri.
According to temple officials, the devotees can witness the trinity’s golden attire on chariots from 5 pm to 11 pm on Saturday. During the ritual, the deities adorn around 30 different designs of ornaments which include gold, diamond, silver and other precious metals, they said.
The practice of Puri deities adorning ‘Suna Besha’ continues since the era of King Kapilendra Deb in 1460, said Bhaskar Mishra, an author and a researcher in Shree Jagannath Culture. He said initially, around 138 designs of ornaments were used in Suna Besha. However, later, the number of items has come down, he said.
Asked about the gold used in the Suna Besha, Mishra said the total weight of ornaments including gold, diamond, silver, precious stone and others is estimated to be 208 kilogrammes. “But, it is difficult to say the exact amount of gold used in the ornaments as they are mixed with other metals while making ornaments,” Mishra said.
“The records were available with the temple administration on the use of gold ornaments in Suna Bhesa during East India Company rule in Odisha, but there is no mention of the weight of gold used in the ritual,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of Puri, who is also the chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), the apex body of the temple, said the items used in the Lord’s Suna Besha were too old, dating back hundreds of years. “Now, we have planned to make another set of ornaments for the Suna Besha soon,” Deb told PTI.
He indicated that the gold received as donations from devotees over the years to be used in making a new set of ornaments. Temple officials said that the gold ornaments are refurbished every year ahead of the Suna Besha on chariots during Rath Yatra.
According to Prof Surendranath Dash, another prominent researcher, Suna Besha on chariots is also called ‘Bada Tadhau Besha’ in temple terminology. He said Puri deities adorn golden attire five times a year. However, the ‘Bada Tadhau Besha’ is popular because it is held on chariots outside the temple and devotees in large numbers get the opportunity to see it.
The Suna Besha on chariots is held on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi on the 11th bright fortnight in Asadha. The four other occasions when the Lords adorn Suna Besha inside the temple are on the occasion of Vijaya Dasami (Dasahara), Kartika Purnima, Dola Purnima and Pousa Purnima (Pushyabhiseka) as per the Odia almanac.
Shree Jagannath culture researcher Asit Mohanty said King Kapilendra Deb in 1460 had donated 16 cartloads of gold and diamond ornaments to the temple after winning wars over the rulers in southern India.
In the Suna Besha, the deities adorn various types of gold ornaments like gold diadems, locally called ‘Kiriti’, hands and feet made of gold. Lord Jagannath holds a gold Chakra (disc) in his right hand and a silver conch in his left hand. Lord Balabhadra wields a golden plough in his left hand and a gold mace in his right hand. Goddess Subhadra also wears different ornaments, Mohanty said.
