Bhubaneswar: Puri district administration has put in place comprehensive measures to ensure the smooth conduct of Suna Besha on Wednesday, when the sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra — will wear gold ornaments on their chariots in front of the Jagannath Temple.
The chariots arrived in front of the shrine after the deities completed their return journey from Gundicha temple during Bahuda Yatra on Monday.
Origin of Suna Besha (golden attire) at Jagannath Temple can be traced back to the reign of king Kapilendra Deb in 1460. Kapilendra, having emerged victorious over another ruler, brought a substantial amount of gold to Puri on 16 elephants, which he then offered to the Jagannath Temple.
Since then, the annual spectacle has become a cherished tradition, observed on Asadha Sukla Ekadasi Tithi (11th day of the bright fortnight in Asadha).
The deities don ornaments like diadems, hands and feet made of gold. Lord Jagannath holds a gold chakra (disc) on his right hand and a silver conch in his left hand. Lord Balabhadra wields a golden plough in his left hand and a golden mace in his right hand. Devi Subhadra will adorn several ornaments.
Different sections of servitors, involving Palia Puspalak, Bhitarchha Mohapatra, Taluchha Mohapatra, Daitapatis, Khuntia and Mekap sevaks, have been assigned to decorate the deities on the chariots.
The servitors will bring the ornaments from the temporary strongroom where the valuables were shifted from the outer chamber of Ratna Bhandar on Sunday.
Around 180 platoons of police force will be deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. Over five police platoons will guard the gold ornaments of the deities.
“We expect a congregation of more than 7 lakh devotees on Suna Besha. We are fully prepared with our crowd control and traffic management plans. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, we will use drones and AI-powered cameras to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have been created in and around Puri,” DGP Arun Sarangi said.

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