Kendrapara: Debasnana Purnima was observed Monday at the Baladevjew temple of Tulashi Khetra, the abode of the elder brother of Jagannath, with pomp, devotion and fervour.
Thousands of devotees thronged Tulashi Khetra here to witness the Mahasnana Utsav, the bathing ceremony of the Lord at the temple.
All the rituals are performed at Tulashi Khetra here and the Shreekhetra of Puri. The servitors and priests bring the three deities from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Mandap early Monday by organising a Dhadi Pahandi.
Later, the Sevayats organised a Mangala Arati, Niti Snana, Balav Manohi and poured 108 pitchers of scented sandalwood water on the deities’ feet to complete the bathing rituals of Lord Baladevjew, Deity Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
During the bathing rituals at Shreekhetra, the servitors pour 108 pots of scented water on heads of the three deities, but at the abode of Baladevjew, they pour water on the feet. Later, the Gajanana Vesha was organised at the Snana Mandap.
It is believed that on the day of Debasnana Purnima, Lord Baladev takes stock of the progress of the Brahma Taladhwaj chariot, the state’s largest chariot, from the Snana Mandap.
The age-old practice of worshipping the two newly constructed wheels along with an axle of the chariot was organised in front of the temple in the evening.
The deities’ Pahandi to Anasara Ghar is scheduled at 9 pm. Police presence was beefed up at the temple to prevent untoward incidents.
Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik paid a visit to Baladevjew Temple Monday evening to have a darshan of the three deities at the bathing altar.
Kendrapara MP Anubhav Mohanty, Aul MLA Pratap Deb, Mahakalapada MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Sahu, Kendrapara MLA Shashi Bhushan Behera, district BJD president Kishore Tarei, Minister of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Ranendra Pratap Swain, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Arun Kumar Sahoo were among the dignitaries who were present at the Rathadanda during the CM’s visit.
“I was blessed to come to Baladevjew Temple,” CM Naveen Patnaik told reporters.
The Chief Minister also announced Rs 2 crore project for the temple renovation, development of its periphery, construction of Baladevjew Kalyana Mandap, raising a wall on the north side of the temple, a toilet complex, installation of a tube well near the marriage mandap and building an overhead tank to provide water to the temple, according to CMO sources at Bhubaneswar.
Collector Prem Chandra Chaudhary and the Sub Collector-cum-president of Baladevjew Temple Endowment Trust Board, Sanjay Kumar Mishra, were present during the CM’s visit.
Nine police platoons were deployed under Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh. ASP Arun Kumar Jena and ASP Santanu Dash monitored the situation.
PNN