Raghunath Besha of Lord Jagannath in 2020
One of the rare Besha of The God of the Universe ‘Raghunath Besha’will is held at Jagannath Temple Puri after 115 years in 2020. Lord Jagannath along with Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra will be adorned with precious jewelry. Millions of devotees will witness the rare attire of deities on the Ratna Singhasan, informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra who attended a program in Bhubaneswar yesterday.
In the last 500 years, the Raghunath Besha has been conducted nine times. It was last held in 1905 when a sea number of devotees had flocked the holy city to see the rare sight of Lord Jagannath. He assured that all sorts of initiatives will be taken by the temple administration for smooth conduct of the occasion at the shrine. According to Srimandir Record of Rights, Madala Panji and other sources, the Raghunath Besha was first held in the year 1577. Later, it was conducted in 1739, 1809, 1833, 1842, 1893, 1896 and 1905.
This will be the tenth time Lord Jagannath will appear in Raghunath Besha in the year 2020.
Earlier, the saint Baba Jagadananda Das had appealed to the government for conducting the Besha in 1969. However, he failed on his mission. In 1983, a meeting chaired by the then collector was held with the administrators and servitors to discuss the smooth conduct of the event. However, their efforts went in vain. By holding the Raghunath Besha of Lord Jagannath in 2020, millions of devotees will get an opportunity to see a rare sight in the temple.
In Raghunath Besha, Lord Jagannath appears like Lord Ram holding a bow in his courtroom with his siblings. Lord Ram’s siblings Bharat, Laxman, Shatrughna and his devotees Hanuman, Narad, and several other idols of deities including Indra, Brahma, Kubera, Nairuta and Vashishta are seen together in the royal court. His devotees Sugreeva, Jambavana, Nala, Nila, Sushena, Angada, Hanuman, Vibhisana are seen standing near the deities. The Besha is also called Shringara Besha as the precious jewelry are used to decorate the deities.
According to reports said that the Raghunath Besha is conducted only on the day when Lord Rama’s coronation ceremony falls in the month of Vaishakha.
Also Read: Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Pakistan
