Lord Jagannath’s abode in Puri is an epitome of an inseparable relationship between the God and humans. Or perhaps the oneness of both. One such example is the 32 different Beshas adorned by Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Besha is a Sanskrit word, which means costume or attire. Every day from ‘Mangala Alati’ till Ratri Pahuda’, the deities are adorned with different costumes made from cotton and silk along with gold ornaments studded with gems, different types of flowers, garland, chandan and tulsi.

Different categories of servitors are responsible for changing Besha of the deities. Puspalaka (Singhari), Khuntia and Changeda Mekap are entrusted with the responsibility of daily change of Besha and decoration whereas, Palia Puspalaks are given the responsibility to decorate the deities on specific occasion.

The ritual of changing the deities’ Beshas is quite interesting. It is based on anthropomorphic equation, where the deities are treated like humans. Whether it is changing their attire, brushing their teeth, bathing them or even taking an afternoon nap or resting at night after dinner, the rituals are humanitarian in nature. It can be therefore said, that the divine is in us. We, humans are a reflection of the divine.