Lakhs of devotees witness 'Suna Besha' of Lord Jagannath in Puri

AROUND 15 lakh devotees on Sunday witnessed Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra's 'Suna Besha' (golden attire) ritual on chariots parked in front of the 12th-century shrine in Puri amid unprecedented security arrangements.

- PBD BUREAU/PTI

The servitors decorated the idols with golden attire. The 'Suna Besha' started at 4.45 pm, much ahead of the scheduled time of 6.30 pm, an official said.

The sibling deities - Lord Balabhara, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - wear gold jewellery weighing nearly 208 kg on the occasion of Suna Besha, which is continuing since 1460.

The devotees can witness the Suna Besha on chariots till 11 pm, the official said.

Odisha Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that around 15 lakh devotees are witnessing the Lord's 'Suna Besha' smoothly abiding by the norms near the chariots. All arrangements are made keeping in view the safety and security of the devotees, he said.

Around 50 people were taken to the district headquarters hospital here after getting minor injuries in the melee of the huge crowd to go near the chariots, an official said.

A woman was also injured in a road accident in Puri, they said.