Snana Jatra or Snana Purnima and Gajanana Besha or Hati Besha

Deba Snana Purnima or Snana Purnima is on June 22nd this year.

It is also called the Jyeshtha Purnima as it is in the "Jyeshtha" month.

It is also called Snana Jatra. The name has the term "jatra," which means "journey."

Snana Jatra means the journey to take a bath.

It is no ordinary journey or bath as this is related to the sibling deities - Shree Jagannatha, Shree Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. As we know, everything about them is grand.

They are moved from their Ratna bedi to the Snana Mandapa in a Pahandi just like during Ratha Jatra. The difference is that this movement - Snana Jatra - is within the Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri.

During Ratha Jatra, the deities move out of the Shreemandira.

I had written a previous post on Snana Purnima in 2022-

"Snana Yatra and Gajanan Besha"-

https://www.anitaexplorer.com/2022/06/snana-yatra-and-gajanan-besha.html

I have felt guilty (and still feel guilty) about using words such as "Yatra" instead of "Jatra" in the past.

Using the local word "Jatra" will be true to the Odia spelling and pronunciation.

Today, while searching online, I found that most articles and reports—including my own blog post mentioned above — have used "Snana Yatra" as the name.

I used "Yatra" in the name as it is more widely known, and people would find my Snana Jatra post if and when they searched.

Today, I found this particular report - published by the Pragativadi last year in 2023.

I was surprised to find that except for the initial 5 lines, the words and all the lines of their entire report have been exactly copied from my 2022 Snana Yatra blog post!

However, their report does not even mention their source.

Simply - "By Pragativadi News Service."

They could have mentioned where they got the information and given me and my blog due credit.

https://pragativadi.com/significance-of-snana-yatra-and-gajanan-besha/

This is how information is being lifted and shared without acknowledgment, accountability, or responsibility.

My blog post title contains the spellings "Snana Yatra" and "Gajanan Besha." Team Pragativadi has used the same terms and spellings.

Had my blog post shared wrong information, the same would have been blatantly plagiarised, too.

I spent considerable time researching and asking the Puri Temple Sebayats to share the right information. 

As it concerns our culture, the right information must be shared for correct representation.

Should outsiders choose to learn about such events, they should get the correct info. 

When exact words are copied, the author must be quoted and mentioned. Team Pragativadi must share the right/original reference/source/link and give credit to the writer.

Subsequent Snana Jatra and Gajanana Besha articles/reports must include "Jatra," "Gajanana," etc. in the names/spellings.

I have been following up with the Shreemandira administration and our Odisha State Govt. for a long time about the need for a uniform spelling guide that can and must be made accessible on the Shree Jagannatha Temple website. Devotees, content creators, writers, journalists, etc., can refer to that and use the correct spellings in their social media posts/news reports/articles, etc.

Requesting @JagannathaDhaam @SJTA_Puri @IPR_Odisha @CMO_Odisha to refer to our letters & social media posts & kindly consider requests for uniform/standard guide & usage:

Let's start with using-
-"Shree" instead of Lord
-#Shree for Mahaprabhu
-#RathaJatrahttps://t.co/6jYuFNz5Qp

— Anita Sabat - ଡ. ଅନୀତା ସାବତ (@anitaexplorer) May 14, 2024

Requesting State Govt to please make a start of naming and using "Jatra" for Snana Jatra and Ratha Jatra & Bahuda Jatra etc.

Uniformity is much needed across platforms.

Also, "Car Festival" may please not be used anymore for "Ratha Jatra."

Why "Car" when the grand chariots have their own names- "Ratha".

Let us be "vocal for local."

Thank you so much for sharing videos & information & LIVE telecast about #RathYatra, @DDNational @DD_Bharati #DDOdia 🙏

The “Return Rath Yatra” i.e. Bahuda Jatra is on 9th July this year.#BahudaYatra #RathaJatra

Please let’s use original names & not #CarFestival🙏@MIB_India pic.twitter.com/9W6hJEC6Ye

— Anita Sabat - ଡ. ଅନୀତା ସାବତ (@anitaexplorer) July 2, 2022