Editorial photo #13902059 Human Interest

Lord Krishna - The Snana Yatra - Festival India - People Of India - Hinduism

The Snana Yatra, a bathing festival celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha, takes place in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on June 29, 2026. The deity Krishna, known locally as Krishna Rai, is carried out of the temple in a decorated palanquin during a joyful procession. The deity is adorned with a floral crown in a unique local style and ceremonially bathed with milk, ghee (clarified butter), and water from the Jalangi River. Participants drink or bathe in the milk and water used in the ritual, which is considered virtuous but can lead to infection, a practice not seen in other Snana Yatra festivals in India. Following the bathing, Lord Krishna is taken on a boat trip on the Jalangi River, accompanied by music featuring the 'khol' or 'Mridanga', important instruments in the Vaishnava faith. The deity is brought down the river's slippery, muddy, and sloping bank for a ceremonial procession into the water. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)