Once upon a time, a renowned and devout worshipper of Lord Ganesha made a visit to Puri. This devotee was known for his unwavering devotion—he worshipped no one but Sri Ganesha and considered Him the Supreme.

When he arrived in Puri, the king warmly welcomed him and invited him to have darshan of Lord Jagannath in the grand temple. However, the devotee politely declined.

He explained, "My heart belongs solely to Lord Ganesha. I do not visit any other deity’s temple."

The king, being a great devotee of Lord Jagannath and also well-versed in the scriptures, gently reasoned with him, saying, “But dear sir, Lord Jagannath is none other than Lord Vishnu Himself—He is the source of all the demigods, including your beloved Ganesha.”

Still hesitant, the devotee eventually agreed, out of respect for the king, to accompany him to the temple—though his mind remained fixed on Lord Ganesha.

It happened to be the sacred day of Snana Yatra, the grand public bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi. The atmosphere was festive and divine. As the devotee stood before the altar and beheld the enormous deities adorned with flower garlands and sandalwood paste, he folded his hands and prayed silently:

“O Lord, if You truly are the Supreme, and if all demigods indeed reside within You, then please reveal to me the form of my Lord Ganesha.”

Just then, something miraculous happened.

Before the eyes of all present—and especially the astonished devotee—Lord Jagannath manifested Himself in a form with a large head and trunk, resembling Lord Ganesha! The devotee was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears flowed from his eyes. His heart overflowed with love, awe, and reverence. He realized in that moment the deeper truth: that the Supreme Lord takes on various forms to reciprocate with the love of His devotees.

This merciful pastime came to be remembered eternally, and since then, on the day of Snana Yatra, Lord Jagannath is decorated in an elephant-like costume, known as Gaja Vesha, to commemorate this beautiful exchange of love.

This pastime is lovingly recounted in H.G. Pankajanghri Prabhu’s book: “The Pastimes & History of Lord Jagannath in Rajapur.”

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