Puri (Odisha), Sep 26 (PTI) The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) on Saturday approved a proposal to prepare a new set of ornaments for the ‘Suna Besha’ ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
The approval was accorded by the 12th-century shrine’s apex decision-making body at a meeting chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.
“The SJTMC has approved a proposal for making a new set of ornaments for the ‘Suna Besha’ ritual of the deities. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will make the ornaments from its own resources. We have also planned to seek donations from interested individuals and organisations in this regard,” SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters after the meeting.
Padhee said there will be no difficulty in preparing the new set of ornaments as the temple administration already has the references for making them.
“During the ongoing inventory of ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (temple treasury), we videographed and conducted 3D mapping of the ornaments, including those used in the Lord’s ‘Suna Besha’. Therefore, all the designs and religious significance of the ornaments will be maintained,” Padhee said.
He said the SJTA also possesses the detailed information regarding the weight and design of the existing ornaments stored at the Ratna Bhandar.
He said a technical committee will be constituted to oversee the entire process of making another set of ornaments.
It will select experienced and skilled jewellers to make the new set of ornaments for the deities. The whole process will be carried out in a transparent manner, Padhee said.
‘Suna Besha’ of the sibling deities is held on five different occasions in a calendar year. They adorn golden attire four times inside the temple and once on the chariot annually.
The events are held on ‘Bahuda Ekadashi (mostly in July, on chariots), ‘Pousha Purnima’ (mostly in January), ‘Dashahara’ (in October), ‘Kartik Purnima’ (November) and ‘Dola Purnima’ (March).
According to temple sources, the ritual of ‘Suna Besha’ of the deities was introduced by Gajapati King Kapilendra Deb in 1460. PTI AAM AAM ACD
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