Lord Jagannath of Puri wears the elephant avatar, known as 'Hati Besha' or 'Gaja Besha' in the local dialect Odia, at the time of ‘Deva-Snana Purnima’ in the year. This is the full moon day when the Lords take a ceremonial bathe with sacred water in 108 pots, drawn from a well inside the ‘Shree Mandir’ (Lord Jagannath temple in Puri) premises.
Each year this spiritual celebration of the three deities happens in a pompous show inside the temple at the ‘Snaana Mandapa’, the pendal for bathing of the Lords. As the snaana Mandap faces towards the Grand road, the ‘Bada Danda’ at the north-east corner of the temple premises, huge number of devotees get a chance to have ‘darshan’ of the Lords and their sacred bathing ritual. During this occasion the deities are given look of an elephant. This is called ‘Gaja Avatar’.
'Debasnana Purnima' is also known as the birthday of Lord Jagannath, as in the 12th century, on this day, King Indradyumna installed the deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra in the temple.
Thanks for such beautiful image of Gaj Besha of Lord Jagannath & useful info on this Besha.I was painstakingly searching for an image of Gaj Avatar of the Lord everywhere but failed despite several attempts . Atlast I found it here . My wish is fulfilled .
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