Puri: The famous Suna Besha or golden attire of Lord Jagannath and His siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra is underway amid tight security and abiding Covid guidelines in the holy city of Puri in Odisha.
The Suna Besha is of the trinity is going on atop their respective chariots, Taladhwaja, Darpa Dalana and Nandighosha of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath respectively at the Singhadwara, in front of Srimandirs, the famous Lord Jagannath temple. Today, a few minutes before, it poured heavily in Puri but without effecting exhibition of the Suna Besha.
During Suna Besha the three deities are adorned with gold jewelry. On this occasion Lord Jagannath is also adorned with a Chakra (disc) made of gold on the right hand while a silver conch adorns the left hand. However, Balabhadra is decorated with a plough made of gold on the left hand while a golden mace adorns his right hand.
The gold ornaments are stored at the temple’s treasury. According to the “Records of Rights”, the bhandara has 150 gold articles comprising three necklaces of 120 tolas, limbs (hands and feet) of Jagannatha and Balabhadra made in gold of 818 tolas and 710 tolas weight. The estimated value of these ornaments is said to run into several million crores. The security of all the jewelry rests with the Temple Police force, which is controlled by the Temple Managing Committee.
The designs of the gold ornaments that are used to decorate the deities are known as: hasta (hand); payar (feet); mukuta (tiara or large crown); mayur chandrika, a peacock feather design which was used as head decoration by Lord Krishna; chulapati (a forehead costume which highlights facial beauty); kundal (hanging ear-rings); rahurekha, a half square shaped decorative adorned across the face of the deity; malas or necklaces of various types such as padam (lotus), sevati (small sun flower), agasti in the shape of moon flower; in a kadamba flower shape, kante (large gold beads), mayoor in the form of peacock feathers, and champa, a yellow flower; Sri chita representing the third eye of the deities; chakra or wheel; gada or mace; padma a lotus flower; and shankh or conch.
Watch Suna Besha Live here:
Ms Kalinga