The Snana Yatra is the festival of the bathing (Snahan) of deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan and Madan Mohan, on the Snana Bedi. The Skanda Purana states that this festival was   first started by King Indradyumna, when all these deities were installed in the temple after consecration. Since then, the festival is being celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Jyeshtha month. In this festival  at the  Jagannath Temple , Puri ,  the main deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan and Madan Mohan are brought out from the sanctum sanctorum Garbhagriha (Garbhagriha) and taken in a procession, to the bathing platform (Snana Bedi)  , the  place for bathing .On the day of Snana Yatra , the deities are ceremonially bathed with 108  gold pots, of ritually purified water drawn from the northern well of the temple .After  completion of  bathing Jagannath and Balabhadra are dressed up in elephant headgear representing the God Ganesh  called the ‘Gajavesha‘ and give darshan to the devotees.

Gods fall ill a after the Snana Yatra, hence are kept in a sick room to recuperate in isolation room, under the care of the Raj Vaidya, the Royal Physician of the king of Puri.  After administration of Ayurvedic medication (‘panchan’) by the Raj Vaidya, the Gods recover in a fortnight and give darshan to the devotees.

The Snana Yatra is celebrated every year with a lot of devotion and dedication in the premises of the temple, with active participation of devotees from Pondicherry and adjoining areas.