Suna Besha (Gold Costume) is one of the special event of Jagannath rath yatra. With gold jewelry Bhagwan Jagannath decorate with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra Devi. Suna Besha is also known as Rajadhiraja Bhesha or Raja Besha. After return of the deities from Gundicha temple the day celebrated.
On the day of Bada Ekadasi, the 11th day of the bright fortnight in Asadha; the deities, on their rath (chariots) the golden attire or the Suna Besha organise.
This year Suna Besha will happen on Thursday, 02 July 2020.
According to temple sources, the sibling deities wear gold jewellery, weighing nearly 208 kg (2 quintal 8 kg), on this occasion. It takes around an hour to decorate bhagwan with gold jewellery. The gold is stored at the temple's bhandara ghar (treasury). The bhandara mekap priests (store in-charge) guarded by armed police force and temple officials brought the gold from the bhandara ghar and hand over to the puspalaka and daitapati priests on the chariots. The daitapati priests are responsible to decorate the Deities' body with gold jewelry.
All the three deities are decorated with gold jewelleries. Bhagwan Jagannath and Balabhadra appear with hands and feet made of gold. Bhagwan Jagannath holds a gold Chakra(disc) in his right hand and a silver conch in the left hand. Bhagwan Balabhadra appears holding a gold plough in the left hand and a gold mace in the right hand.
The following jewelleries 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 Bhagwan Jagannath as Sri Krishna head piece
⦿ Suna Chulapati - A golden jewellery 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 Design 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
Huge number of Devotees gather to get the magnificent look of Bhagwan.