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Snana Yatra - the Birthday of Lord Jagannath


Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimat Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai !!

The Snana Yatra, or the Bathing Festival of Sri Krishna is celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha (May/June). It is an important festival for Vaishnavas and particularly for adherents of the Jagannath Cult. In 2012 it falls on 4th of June.

Traditionally, this festival has its origin since the time of the carving of the 'Daru-brahma' deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Devi Subhadra in Sri Purushottam Kshetra (Jagannath Puri) thousands of years ago, commemorating Their sacred appearance. In effect, this is the birthday of Lord Jagannath.

This is the first occasion in the year when their Lordships Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Prabhu Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, Sri Sudarshan Maharaj, and Sri Madan Mohan are brought out from the Jagannath Temple in Puri and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi, the bathing dais. There they are ceremonially bathed and decorated for a public audience with the devotees. This is one rare occasion when devotees can get really up close to the Lord.

If anyone has the great good fortune to go to Vrindavan during Snan Yatra it is the most transcendentally enjoyable time. At every temple, every Deity comes into a festive bathing mood. It's the most joyful experience to go from temple to temple enjoying seeing and participating in the Lord's transcendental estival of Snan Yatra.

At the Sri Radha Raman temple there is the most spectacular festival. Sri Radha Ramanji is brought to the front of the pitha/altar - first there's a spectacular arati for Him - followed by all manner of offerings - then the Lord is sprayed with water from two shower-like sprays one either side of Him. Under the sprays are coloured lights which tastefully go on and off and different colours while the Lord stands there playing on His flute.

The Radha Raman temple is so designed that a sprinkler system all round the top of the wall, and even on the fans has been built. After the Lord takes His bath, all the devotees are sprayed with scented water as the sprinkler system is turned on.

Through associating with Baba, many of us know that after the bathing ceremony Lord Jagannath and his siblings catch a “transcendental chill” and are fed sweet foods and drinks to break Their fever, and then retire for Their 'Anavasara kala' - recuperation period.

In Jagannath Puri where the Deities are painted with natural mineral paints, after the bathing ceremony the paints have a tendency to run and the Deities are not viewable to the general public for a period of 10 – 12 days. So to allow the devotees to partake further in the Lord's pastimes, They made a special arrangement with one 'brahmin' who came to visit to take 'darshan' at this time.

The story goes that this brahmin was a devotee of Lord Jagannath, but for some reason when he visited Sri Jagannath Puri, he expected to see the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh, in the temple. The brahmin was somewhat disappointed at not seeing Lord Ganesh and that Lord Jagannath had been bathed already and that They were looking a bit 'off colour' with Their mineral paint colours running. In many ways the hearts’ desire of that devotee was unfulfilled and he was not satisfied.

Then that night, knowing his heart, the Lord appeared to the devotee in a dream and told him to go back to the temple and he would not be disappointed. Rather all his desires would be fulfilled by worshipping Lord Jagannath and not by separately worshipping any other ‘deva’.

The all merciful Lord then appeared to his devotee; Lord Jagannath and Lord Balaram assumed the appearance of beautifully decorated elephants, while Devi Subhadra decorated Herself as a Lotus flower. From that time on they began the Hati Vesha (Elephant Mask) festival. Consequently some call it the Hati-vesh festival, some the Ganesh-vesh festival. Both are correct – the Lord assumed a special form to satisfy His devotee.

To continue the story, after their bathing ceremony, the Lords catch a chill and have to ‘rest’ for 2 weeks. This is the time when their mineral colours are painted on again and then on Rath Yatra day, They emerge fully ‘recovered from their cold’ and looking bright and cheerful and gladdening the hearts of their devotees by coming out and giving darshan freely to all.

The Lord’s festivals are closely aligned with the seasons. First comes Chandan Yatra – when the heat of summer is at its fiercest. The only thing to really give some relief is to cover oneself with cool sandal wood pulp. As the sandal wood dries it protects one from the heat, and any sweat that does come out moistens the sandalwood which when touched by a breeze gives soothing relief from the heat.

Then comes Snan Yatra. By now the heat is stifling, all that anyone wants to do is jump into in the waters of lake or a river like the Yamuna, or the Bay of Bengal in Jagannath Puri. The only solace is water - and so the Supreme enjoyer also enacts this wonderful pastime of bathing with His devotees.

The Lord's festivals go on as the weather increases in it's heat and humidity. The Lord then goes out on His Rath chariot under a canopy protected from the rain, and blistering sun that alternate during the journey on Rathyatra day.

Then as the humidity increases, raining most days, with sometimes 98 percent humidity and high temperatures, the last thing that you want is water. The air is thick with moisture and there's not a breeze to be found - so the Lord then gets on to His Jhulan swing, and enjoys His transcendental rasa of being swung by His loving devotees.

The essence is that we at these times give pleasure to the Lord, by providing Him with the service that is most pleasing to Him. By that service the Lord blesses us with love, and remembrance of Him.

It also signifies that the Supreme Lord does not stay in some sterile corner of heaven untouched by the sufferings of mankind; rather He also feels and experiences alongwith His devotees, whether it is heat, cold, joy or sorrow.

 

Jai Sri Radhey

Jai Guru !!