1st Lot Of Timber Leaves For Chariot Construction For Puri Rath Yatra In Odisha

Puri: The first lot of wood for construction of three chariots for Lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra in Puri left Dasapalla in Nayagarh district.

According to sources, as many as 104 wooden log pieces were dispatched from Dasapalla after a special puja  ritual at Mahaveer Temple.

Three trucks carrying the logs left for the ‘ratha khala’ where the three giant chariots are to be constructed on the Grand Road in the seaside pilgrim town.

AFter the required number of logs arrive at the ‘ratha khala’, sawing of the timber will be taken up on Ram Navami and construction of chariots will begin on Akshaya Tritiya. Normally, 865 pieces of different types of logs are used for construction of the chariots every year.

The process for making the chariots for Rath Yatra of sibling deities of the 12^th century shrine had begun last month when a team of servitors went to Nayagarh to identify the wood.

The three-member team carrying ‘Mala’ garlands, ‘Patani’ and ‘Lagiluga’ (dresses) and prasad of Sarapuli, Biripitha and Ladoo had gone to Badamula in Nayagarh. The team comprised supervisor of chariot construction Sudarshan Mekap, head of Bhoi servitors Rabi Bhoi and amin Laxman Mahapatra, the sources added.