A temple ritual from Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur has captured attention online after a video showing doctors performing a ceremonial health check-up of Lord Jagannath using stethoscopes went viral on social media.
A temple ritual from Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur has captured attention online after a video showing doctors performing a ceremonial health check-up of Lord Jagannath using stethoscopes went viral on social media. The video, recorded at the historic Rasmandal Temple on Tuesday, shows a team of doctors symbolically examining the deity as part of an age-old tradition that marks Lord Jagannath's period of illness before the annual Rath Yatra. The unique ceremony has sparked curiosity online, with social media users sharing a wide range of reactions.
The ritual is deeply rooted in centuries-old Jagannath traditions. According to popular belief, Lord Jagannath falls ill after receiving the ceremonial Snana Purnima bath, observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. Devotees believe the elaborate bathing causes the deity to develop a fever.
As part of this sacred observance, Lord Jagannath remains away from public view from the day after Snana Purnima until Amavasya during the Krishna Paksha of Ashadha. During this period, devotees are not permitted to have darshan of the deity.
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Instead, the deity is offered herbal preparations and medicinal decoctions as bhog, symbolising treatment and recovery. Continuing this tradition, a special team of doctors conducts a symbolic medical examination before preparations for the Rath Yatra begin.
This year's ceremonial examination took place on Tuesday, with doctors using stethoscopes to perform the symbolic health check-up. The rare moment, captured on camera, quickly spread across social media and drew widespread attention.
Following the ritual, Lord Jagannath is traditionally offered pointed gourd (parwal) juice as bhog. On Thursday, the deity receives a royal-style khichdi offering, after which the grand Rath Yatra procession winds through the streets of Jaunpur, drawing large numbers of devotees.
The ceremonial health check-up has remained an integral part of Jaunpur's Jagannath Rath Yatra traditions for decades, symbolising the deity's recovery and the beginning of one of the city's most significant religious celebrations.
