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{{About|Suna Bhesha||Jagannath}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox holiday |
|holiday_name= Suna Bhesha
|type=Hindu
|image= Suna Vesha or Golden Attire of Lord Shri Jagannath of Puri.jpg
|imagesize=
|caption=
|official_name =
|nickname = Raja Besha or Rajarajeswara Besha
|longtype=religious
|observedby= [[Jagannath Temple]]
|date = {{plainlist |
* Poushya Purnima (Pushyavisheka)
* Falgun Purnima (Dola Purnima)
* [[Shayani Ekadashi|Harishayan Ekadashi]] (Bahuda ekadashi)
* [[Kartik Purnima]]}}
| date2015 = {{plainlist |
* Poushya Purnima: 5 January
* Dola Purnima: 5 March
* Bahuda Ekadashi: 27 July
* Karthik Purnima: 15 November
* Dasahara: 11th October}}
| date2016 = {{plainlist |
* Poushya Purnima: 14 January
* Dola Purnima: 23 March
* 'Bahuda Ekadashi: 15 July
* Dasahara: 11 October
* Karthik Purnima: 14 November}}
|observances=
|relatedto = [[Rath Yatra]]
}}

'''Suna Besha,''' also known as '''Rajadhiraja besha''' {{Sfn|Manti|2014|p=103}} '''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.<ref name=Besha>{{Cite web|url=http://www.puripolice.nic.in/?q=node/417|title=Suna Besha(Ashadha/ June – July)|access-date=2 July 2015|publisher=National Informatics center}}</ref> Suna Bhesha is observed 5 times during a year.<ref name=Besha/> It is commonly observed on [[Magha (month)|Magha]] [[Purnima]] (January), [[Shayani Ekadashi|Bahuda Ekadashi]] (July), [[Dashahara]] (October), [[Kartik Purnima]] (November), and Pousa Purnima (December).<ref>{{cite book|title=Arts of Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OY1MAAAAYAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Arts of Asia}}</ref><ref name=Bhesha>{{Cite web|url=http://www.puripolice.nic.in/?q=node/417|title=Suna Bhesha(Ashadha/ June – July)|access-date=2 July 2015|publisher=National Informatics center}}</ref> The name Suna Bhesha is derived from two words, 'Suna' meaning "gold" and 'Bhesha' meaning "costume".<ref>{{cite book|title=JASO: Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3bgjAQAAIAAJ|year=1998|publisher=The Society}}</ref>

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''.<ref name=Kapil/>); 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 [[Gada (mace)|mace]] adorns his right hand.<ref name=Bhesha/>

==History==
During the reign of Ananga Bhima Deva, the king of Utkal, Lord Jagannath was declared as 'Utkal Samrat' or "Lord of the Nation" in the 13th century,<ref name= Portal>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nabakalebara.gov.in/newsDetails/in-news-section/51|title=Shree Khetra: Bhesha (Decoration)|work=Suna Bhesha (Golden Decoration)|access-date=3 July 2015|publisher=Government of Orissa’s official web portal of Nabakalebara 2015}}</ref> and by then the Jagannath Temple at Puri had been built by him in 1198.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/may2006/engpdf/33-36.pdf|title=Lord Jagannath:Symbol of Unity and Integration|access-date=3 June 2015|publisher=Government of Orissa e-magazine}}</ref> According to temple history, Suna Bhesha was introduced during the era of King Kapilendradeva in 1460 A.D.<ref name=Kapil>{{cite web |url=http://indianewsdiary.com/?p=4561 |title=Lakhs throng to see Lord's Golden Avatar - India News Diary |work=indianewsdiary.com |date=2012 |access-date=2 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104811/http://indianewsdiary.com/?p=4561 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> When the king [[Kapilendradeva]] (r.1434-1466 AD) returned home triumphant after winning wars over the rulers of the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] (Southern India) he brought a huge bounty which was carried in 16 cart loads (on 16 elephants is also mentioned.<ref name=Kapil/>). 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 jewelry after the Bahuda Yatra.{{Sfn|Manti|2014|p=150-51}}

==Suna Bhesha within the temple==
During the 10th bright day of the month of Aswin (October) on [[Vijayadashami|Bijayadasami]] or Dassahara day, Lord Jagannath is fully bedecked as an emperor with all gold jewelry.<ref name=Bhesha/> 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 (month)|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.<ref name=Bhesha/>

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 (cooking)|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).{{Sfn|Manti|2014|p=103}}

==Ornaments of deities==
The gold ornaments are stored at the temple’s treasury known as ''Bhitara Bhandaraghara''. According to the "Records of Rights", the bhandara (store) has 150 gold articles comprising three [[necklaces]] of 120 [[Tola (unit)|tolas]] (each tola is equivalent to 11.33980925 grams) weight each, limbs (hands and feet) of Jagannatha and Balabhadra made in gold of 818 tolas and 710 tolas weight. Also recorded are decorative crowns of the deities Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the order of 610 tolas, 434 tolas and 274 tolas in weight. The estimated value of these ornaments is said to run into several million [[crores]]. The security of all the jewelry rests with the Temple Police force, which is controlled by the Temple Managing Committee. {{Sfn|Manti|2014|p=103}} When the jewelry is brought out for decorating the deities in the chariots, armed policemen accompany it along with a minimum of 25 storekeepers.<ref name=Kapil/> Except the priests and the servitors no one else is allowed to remain on the chariots for security reasons. Devotees get a [[Darśana]] or a vision of the Suna Bhesha of the deities from a certain distance.{{Sfn|Manti|2014|p=151}}

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. However, now only 20-30 designs are used.<ref name=Kapil/>

The designs of the gold ornaments that are used to decorate the deities are known as: ''hasta'' (hand); ''payar'' (feet); ''mukuta'' ([[tiara]] or large crown); ''mayur'' ''chandrika'', a peacock feather design which was used as head decoration by Lord [[Krishna]]; ''chulapati'' (a forehead costume which highlights facial beauty); ''kundal'' (hanging ear-rings); ''rahurekha'', a half square shaped decorative adorned across the face of the deity; ''malas'' or necklaces of various types such as ''padam'' (lotus), ''sevati'' (small sun flower), ''agasti'' in the shape of moon flower; in a ''kadamba'' flower shape, ''kante'' (large gold beads), ''mayoor'' in the form of peacock feathers, and ''champa'', a yellow flower; ''Sri chita'' representing the third eye of the deities; [[chakra]] or wheel; [[gada (weapon)|gada]] or mace; padma a lotus flower; and [[shankh]] or conch.<ref name=Bhesha/><ref name= Portal/>

The ''chita'' or "Sri Chita" decorative ornament, which denotes the third eye of gods, is represented separately for each of the deities; Lord Jagannath’s forehead is affixed with a [[diamond]] and Goddess Subhadra’s forehead is decorated with an [[emerald]] (''panna''). These forehead ornamentations are removed when the deities are brought out during the [[Deb Snana Purnima]]. They are then redecorated when the deities return to the sanctum, in the Chitra month on [[amavasya]] day (new moon day).<ref name=Bhesha/>

==Painting==
A very large painting depicting Lord Jagannath in Suna Bhesha which is of 10.5x6.5 ft size was put on display in Puri during the Bahuda Yatra. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140715/jsp/odisha/story_18613703.jsp#.VZKto5VRHmQ|title=Suna bhesha patta chitra awes one & all|date=15 July 2014|publisher=Telegraph India}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[http://myodia.com/category/nabakalebara-puri Suna Besa lord jagannath Full Watch]

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last= Manti |first=J C |title=The Saga of Jagannatha and Badadeula at Puri (: Story of Lord Jagannatha and his Temple)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QweqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA151|date=22 August 2014|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-82652-45-8}}

{{Jagannath}}

[[Category:Jagannath]]
[[Category:Odisha]]
[[Category:Hindu festivals]]
[[Category:Hindu holy days]]
[[Category:January observances]]
[[Category:March observances]]
[[Category:July observances]]
[[Category:October observances]]
[[Category:November observances]]
[[Category:December observances]]

Suna Besha - Revision history

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