Snana Yatra or Devasnana Purnima is the ceremonial bathing of the deities Lord Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balarama on the full moon day in the month of Jyestha (May-June).
On the previous day of the Yatra, the deities are brought to a specially decorated bathing platform or ‘Snana Vedi,’ and the bathing rituals are instituted the following day.
After the rituals, Jagannath and Balarama are decorated in a ‘Hathi Vesha’ or ‘Ganesh Vesha’ and Subhadra in a lotus flower. The deities then remain stricken with fever for fifteen days, called ‘Anasara,’ before Rath Yatra commences.
On this Snana Yatra day in 1855 (May 31), the image of Mother Kali was ceremonially installed at the Dakshineswar temple. Ramkumar, the elder brother of Sri Ramakrishna, performed the installation ceremony.
Sri Ramakrishna recounted, ‘After the temple was built and the image was made, there was a delay in fixing an auspicious day for the installation owing to the leisurely ways of people. In the meantime, the image was packed in a box so it would not be damaged.
But it suddenly perspired for some reason, and the Rani got the command in a dream, “How long will you keep Me confined this way? I feel suffocated; install Me as soon as possible.” She got that commandment no sooner than the Rani became flurried and had the almanac consulted for an auspicious day. But, as no such day could be found before the Snanayatra, she resolved to install on that day.’
Mother Kali and Dakshineswar temple became pivotal to the divine play of Sri Ramakrishna.