Important: Next Sunday Feast Program Will Start At 5:00PM (Sri Jagannath Snan Yatra)
Devakinandan Das
Please make a note of time change for this Sunday because of special event Sri Jagannath Snan yatra...
Guru Puja - Srila Prabhupada arati will start at 5 PM - (5 PM to 5:15 PM)
Abhishek - 5:15 PM to 6:15 PM
Class by HH Bhakti Vinod maharaj - 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM
Gaura Arati and Nrsimhadev prayers - 7:15 to 7:45 PM
June 23, 2013 - Sunday - 5:00PM - 8:00PM
143 State Route 35, Laurence Harbor, NJ
Snan Yatra is the appearance day of Lord Jagannath Skanda Purana is the biggest Purana of the eighteen Puranas. There is one khanda named Utkal-khanda. In Utkal-khanda we find everything regarding Lord Jagannath and Purusottama- ksetra, which is also known as Jagannath-ksetra. Vyasadeva has written it. In Skanda Purana Lord Jagannath tells Maharaja Indradyumna, "O King, I appeared on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha." This is the day on which we observe Snana Purnima — Lord Jagannath's public bath. That was in the Svayambhuva manvantara, in the first part of Satya-yuga. Lord Jagannath said, "I appeared, being pleased with the performance of yajna and bhakti." This is the birthday of Jagannath-deva. So every year on this day the public bathing ceremony should be performed — that was the order of Jagannath to Indradyumna Maharaja. Maharaja Indradyumna is a great devotee. He performed one thousand horse sacrifices. Being pleased with his devotee and his yajna performance, Lord Jagannath appeared in the second part of the Svayambhuva manvantara and Brahma installed the deities in the temple.
Snan Yatra in Jagannath-Puri.
Lord Jagannath Snana Yatra ----In Puri the bathing procedure is as follows: After Mangala Arati, the Suaras and Mahasuaras go in a ceremonial procession to fetch water from Suna Kua (Golden well) in one hundred and thirty, vessels of copper and gold. All of them cover their mouths with a piece of cloth so as not to contaminate it even with their breath. Then all the vessels filled with water are preserved in the Bhoga Mandap. The Palla pandas (a class of Brahmin priests) then purify the water with Haridra (turmeric), Java (whole rice), Benachera, Chandan, Aguru, flowers, perfumes and medicinal herbs.
The bathing festival takes place during the morning hours of the purnima tithi. The filled vessels are carried from Bhoga Mandap to the Snana Vedi by the Suaras in a long single-line procession. This ritual is called 'Jaladhibasa' (Jala - water, abhishek - bath).
So to keep a wonderful mood of seeing the Lord in an uplifting manner the Lord arranged for the Hati Vesha festival where Lord Jagannatha and Lord Balaram then puts on the elephant dress, Hati Vesha, and Lady Subhadra wears a lotus flower vesha.
Gajanan Vesha Darshan
The original story is told in several different ways, some call Hati snan (elephant bath) some call Ganesh abhishek as they identify the following story as being the original cause of the Lord to wear this elephant vesh for His devotee: It is said that a staunch devotee of Lord Ganesh and himself a profound scholar visited Puri during Snana Yatra. He was amply rewarded by the king of Orissa for his scholarship. The king asked the scholar to accompany him to see Lord Jagannath which he refused under the pretext that he wouldn't worship any "God" other than his Ishthadevata Ganesh. Somehow he was persuaded and brought before the Snana vedi. To the utter surprise of all, Lord Jagannath appeared with an elephantine form that resembled as Ganesh. Since then during Snana Yatra when the sacred bath is performed, the Deities are dressed like elephants - resembling Ganesh. Various other legends are also told and reasons assigned explaining the Ganesh besa (vesha).
During the sacred bath the colours painted on the images generally fade. seeing the wooden deities in discolour devotees may not have the appropriate devotional attitude and in fact may feel sinful repugnance. For this reason, the images are immediately dressed in the Hati vesha (besa) in which they remain mostly covered.
Lord Jagannath becomes transcendentally sick.
After the Snana Yatra, the Deities are kept away from public view for fifteen days and during all these days the daily rites of the temple remain suspended. As Jagannatha himself instructed, after this ceremony, he is not seen for a fortnight. The Deities are kept on a special "sick room" called the Ratan vedi inside the temple. This period is called 'Anabasara kala' meaning improper time for worship. It has been said earlier that the Deities are discoloured as a result of the sacred bath - some say look a bit off colour...... ..
During these fifteen days the Daitas (descendants of Viswavasu, the Savara) repaint and restore the Deities and Jagannath's fine decorations. The period of colouring and decorating the Deities is divided into seven short periods, each of two days duration, and a short period of one day set apart to give finishing touches. Thus the period covers the whole fortnight. On the 16th day the Deities in their new forms after renovation become ready for the public view - darshan. The festival of the first appearance of the Lord Jagannath to his devotees is called Netrotsava (festival for the eyes) or Nava Yauvanotsava (festival of the ever new youth). According to priests of the Jagannath temple the devotee washes away all his sins if he gets a vision of the Lord on this day. On this occasion, therefore, great rush of people occurs in the temple.
Snan Yatra pastime of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to visit Sri-Jagannath Temple everyday for HIS Darshan. After Snana Purnima was over, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was not able to see Sri-Jagannath in the temple. He asked all the priests where is my Shymasundar Jagannath ? Priests replied - since Sri-Jagannath is suffering from fever, he won’t give darshan and you can have HIS darshan as four-handed form of Vishnu (Alarnath) at Brahmagiri. In intense separation from Sri-Jagannath, Lord Chaitanya ran to Brahmagiri in ecstasy to meet Lord Alarnath, who is the four hand form Of Vishnu. Seeing Sri-Jagannath in Lord Alarnath, Chaitanya mahaprabhu fainted on a stone and the stone melted. The molten stone outlining mahaprabhu's body is still in Brahmagiri, worshipped by Vaishnavas.
Hari Bol
Your Servant
Devakinandan das
ISKCON OF CNJ