Suvarna besha

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Suna Besha, also known as Rajadhiraja besha. Raja Besha and Rajarajeshwara Besha, is an event when the Hindu deities Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra (the presiding deities of Jagannath Temple, Puri, India) are adorned with gold jewelry. Suna Bhesha is observed 5 times during a year. It is commonly observed on Magha Purnima (January), Bahuda Ekadashi (July), Dashahara (October), Kartik Purnima (November), and Pousa Purnima (December). The name Suna Bhesha is derived from two words, 'Suna' meaning "gold" and 'Bhesha' meaning "costume".

While one such Suna Bhesha event is observed on Bahuda Ekadashi during the Rath Yatra on the chariots placed at the lion's gate (also called Singhadwara. the other four Beshas' are observed inside the temple on the Ratna Singhasana (gem studded altar). On this occasion gold plates are decorated over the hands and feet of Jagannath and Balabhadra; Jagannath is also adorned with a Chakra (disc) made of gold on the right hand while a silver conch adorns the left hand. However, Balabhadra is decorated with a plough made of gold on the left hand while a golden mace adorns his right hand.

During the 10th bright day of the month of Aswin (October) on Bijayadasami or Dassahara day, Lord Jagannath is fully bedecked as an emperor with all gold jewelry.On the 12th Shukla paksha day of the month of Ashada, after returning from the Ratha Yatra to the main Jagannath Temple, also known as Srimandir, the three deities are adorned with gold ornaments. Again on the full moon day of the Kartika (November) the deities are decorated with gold ornaments. On the full moon day of Pausha (December) and Phalguna (March) also the deities are worshiped when gold ornamentation is done.

A day after the Suna Bhesha event Lord Jagannath and other deities are formally offered a concoction of a sweet juice, known in local usage as Adharapana, which is a mixture made of milk, cream, cottage cheese, plantain pulp, grated coconut, nabata (brown sugar spiced with camphor), nutmeg and black pepper and so forth. The juice is offered as a token to the lips of the deities deified in their individual chariots to break their fast or ekadasi. Following this ritual the terracotta vessel with its contents is broken which is done to appease guardian deities (demi-gods) of the three chariots and the gods deified therein. Devotees assembled at the venue jostle to collect a small quantity of this juice as prasada (gracious gift of god).

Suna Besha was introduced during the era of King Kapilendradeva in 1460 A.D. When the king Kapilendradeva returned home triumphant after winning wars over the rulers of the Deccan (Southern India) he brought a huge bounty which was carried in 16 cartloads. The trophies which he collected consisted of diamonds and gold. The day he arrived in Puri he donated all the booty to the Lord Jagannath. He instructed the temple priests to get ornaments crafted out of the gold and diamond he had donated to adorn the deities on the occasion of the Ratha Yatra festival. Since then the deities, Jagannatha, Balabharda and Subhadra are decorated with this jewellery after the Bahuda Yatra.

The gold ornaments of the Lords are stored at the temple’s treasury known as Bhitara Bhandara ghara. The bhandara nikap priests or the store in-charge, guarded by armed policemen and temple officials, bring the required amount of gold from the bhandara ghar before 1 hour and handed them over to the puspalaka and daitapati priests on the chariots. The daitapati priests are responsible to decorate the Deities’ body with gold jewellery. The three deities are dressed in glittering gold ornaments on their respective chariots.

The following ornaments are used to decorate the Deities in Suna Besha:

• Suna Hasta – Golden Hand

• Suna Payar – Golden feet

• Suna Mukuta – Golden Crown

• Suna Mayur Chandrika – A golden peacock feather used by Lord Jagannath as Sri Krishna headpiece

• Suna Chulapati – A golden ornament worn traditionally on the forehead to increase the beauty of the face

• Suna Kundal – Golden earring of hanging round ball type

• Suna Rahurekha – A half square shaped golden aura around the face of the deities

• Suna Mala – Necklaces with several designs made of gold. These include:

• Padma Mala – Lotus Shaped

• Sevati Mala – Shaped Like Small Sun Flower

• Agasti Mala – Moon Shaped flower design

• Kadamba Mala – Kadamba Flower Design (Round ball shape)

• Kante Mala – Big Gold Beads Design

• Mayur Mala – Shaped in Peacock feathers

• Champa Mala – Shaped liked Yellow champa Flower

• Suna Chakra – Golden Wheel

• Suna Gada – Golden bludgeon

• Suna Padma – Golden lotus

• Rupa Sankha – A silver conch

According to the “Records of Rights”, the treasury has 150 gold articles comprising of three necklaces of 120 tola or 1.4 kg weight each of the limbs of hands and feets. Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra made in gold of 818 tola or 9.54 kg and 710 tola or 8.28 kg of weight. Also recorded are decorative crowns of the deities Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the order of 610 tolas or 7.12 kg, 434 tola or 5 kg and 274 tola or 3.2 kg of weight respectively. According to the temple sources, in the past, the total weight of the gold ornaments used to adorn the deities weighed more than 208 kg initially made in 138 designs. It is believed that whoever sees the Lord in Suna Besha gets free of all his bad Karmas. A huge number of the crowd can be seen in front of the temple to feel the power of the Lord on this day