About 15 lakh devotees, more than during the Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, witnessed the famous Sunavesh of Shree Jagannath and his siblings Shree Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on the chariots on Friday. The dressing process of the Sunavesh was delayed by about two hours.
A special set of servitors brought huge amounts of gold ornaments from the temple treasury to the Raths amid tight security. Three sets of dressers took about two hours to adorn the three deities.
Precious jewel-studded gold ornaments weighing about 100 kg were used to dress the deities. The ornaments include giant limbs like feet, hands and insignias like mace, lotus, wheel and conch. The huge gold tiaras besides a number of special necklaces and garlands presented a spectacular look. The deities too wear big Kundals (earrings) in their earlobes besides chest guards all made of gold.
The deities would remain on the Raths on Saturday and enter the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple (this is called Niladri Bije of the deities) on Sunday night in Pahandi (procession).
On Saturday. they would be offered Adharpana (a special drink) on the Raths. lord Jagannath would present Rasgollas to his angry spouse Mahalakshmi on Sunday to persuade her to open the temple gate, which remains closed for the lord by the order of Mahalakshmi.