Gajavesha Darshan at ISKCON Auckland on Snana Yatra.

On June 22, 2024, devotees worldwide celebrated the Snana Yatra festival with great love and devotion. 

Held on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha, the festival signifies the bathing of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra, and Sudarsana chakra. After the holy bath, the Deities are dressed in Their Ganapati or Hasti Vesha (elephant outfits). Under the plea of catching a fever, Their Lordships retire from public view for two weeks, reappearing to the public a day before the first day of Rath Yatra.

In his address in New Rajapur Jagannātha dhama in Bangalore, Jayapataka Swami spoke of the significance of the Snana Yatra, stating, “Lord Jagannatha after the Snana-yatra returned to His altar in the temple. The dayita-patis offer food such as sweetmeats to Lord Jagannatha during this anavasara, the resting period after Snana-yatra. They also make the early morning offering of sweetmeats daily. It is said that during the anavasara, Lord Jagannatha suffers from fever and that the dayita-patis offer Him an infusion of drugs represented by fruit juice.”

He further explained, “Usually, the utsava murtis are offered the service, but on this occasion, the mula-vigraha is offered service. Jagannatha then takes the actual big Deity and does the Snana-yatra, Ratha-yatra. So it is a very special thing.”

ISKCON Attapur in Hyderabad notably celebrated its first-ever Snana Yatra, marking a significant milestone for the community.