Bhubaneswar: Sibling deities of Puri Jagannath Temple appeared in their golden avatar on the occasion of Suna Besha on Wednesday. The event was witnessed by lakhs of devotees.
Suna Besha was observed two days after the chariots reached Singha Dwar outside Jagannath Temple. The holy trinity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were dressed in golden attire and wore crowns atop the chariots amid a heavy security presence.
“It is always a treat to watch the deities sparkle in their golden avatar.I am blessed to have had darshan of the deities on Rath Yatra, Bahuda and Suna Besha,” said Sukanti Mohanty, a devotee from Jagatsinghpur.
Though the exact quantities of gold adorned by the deities have never been weighed by the temple administration, sources said around 40-50 kg of gold ornaments are normally used on Suna Besha every year.
Servitors demanded that new sets of ornaments be prepared for the deities. “Since the govt has reopened the Ratna Bhandar after 46 years for inventory and repair, steps should be taken to use the preserved gold to make new jewellery for the deities, who have been wearing old ornaments on festive occasions,” said Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, a senior servitor of the temple’s Daitapati Nijog.
A gold crown on Jagannath’s head was found broken during the Suna Besha in 2021, triggering resentment among servitors and devotees. “Millions of devotees were hurt in 2021 when they watched the broken gold crown. Even though the temple has adequate gold in its treasury, no step has been taken to make new ornaments,” rued Shayam Mohapatra, another servitor.
Madhab Pujapanda, another servitor and member of the temple managing committee, said new sets of jewellery should be kept in readiness and used at regular intervals.
State law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that the govt would take necessary steps if the situation demanded the creation of new ornaments for the deities. “As of now, no decision has been taken as we have not received any proposal in this regard,” Harichandan said.

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