Bhubaneswar, June 4: The scorching heat is not only making mere mortals complain, but also the deities in heaven.

The divine siblings — Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra — took a lavish bath during the Debasnana Purnima festival observed on Monday to get some respite from the unbearable heat.

Lakhs of devotees gathered outside the Puri temple to witness the sight of the deities being given the holy bath at the snana mandap of the temple.

The deities were carried from within the sanctum to the bathing altar or the snana bedi early in the morning.

The priests had prepared 108 pots of special scented water for the bathing of the idols.

The bathing water is a mixture of coconut water, scented extracts from flowers and other fragrant ingredients such as sandalwood that give a cooling effect to the deities.

While Lord Jagannath was bathed with 35 pots, Lord Balabhadra was bathed with 33, Sudarshan with 18 and Goddess Subhadra with 22 pots of the scented water.

After the bathing ceremony, the icon of Puri’s royalty, Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, was brought to the venue on a palanquin. He then swept the floor where the deities were seated, performing the chhera panhara ritual.

Soon, the idols were adorned with the gaja besa or the appearance resembling an elephant.

“Debasnana Purnima is always observed on Jyestha Purnima (full moon day of the Jyestha month of Odia calendar) and is the first event of the year wherein the idols of the divine siblings are brought outside the sanctum.

“After bathing generously with the cooling solutions, especially prepared for the occasion, the deities catch a cold and fever. Hence, they will receive intense treatment tomorrow onwards,” said Pandit Surya Narayan Rathsharma, an expert on Jagannath culture.

After falling sick with fever, the deities will be shifted to a secret lodge known as the Anasara Ghara where they will undergo treatment for 15 days. Until then, devotees will not be able to see the deities.

Once they are cured, Lord Jagannath and his siblings will be out on a vacation to their aunt’s house, the Gundicha temple on the rath yatra day that will be observed on June 21 this year.

“Braving the heat and the rush, our family came here to get a glimpse of the deities since we will be unable to see them in the coming fortnight. It was a divine experience to see the Lords in the gaja besa,” said Subhas Kar, a devotee.

On the other hand, the chassis of the chariots for rath yatra were set up today by a team of special carpenters.