Chariots ready for the Puri car festival

Puri, Jun 22 : Hundreds of traditional artisans are busy giving final touches to three gigantic chariots for the annual nine-day sojourn of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra.

The construction of the chariots began on the auspicious Akshyaya tritiya day after the divine order (Ajna mallya from the lords) was communicated to the chief architects of three chariots in a ceremony.

After an observance of a sacred ''homa'' by the temple priest, the construction of the chariots started as per a fixed schedule and to be completed a day prior to the fete.

It almost takes 59 days for completion of all the work. The chariots would be then veered from the construction site and parked in front of the temple facing the Gundicha temple along the grand road on the night prior to the car festival.

Scores of carpenters assisted by a large number of helpers are working under the direction of the respective chief architects for construction of the chariots.

The chief carpenters have been designated as ''Biswakarmas''.

Chief architect Lingaraj Mahapatra assigned for ''Nandighosh'', the chariots of lord Jagannath, Narayan Mahapatra for ''Taladhwaja ''of lord Balabhadra and Krushna Chandra Maharana for ''Darpadalan'' the chariot of Devi Subhadra designated as Sareebandha Biswakarmas, (royal permission holders) have been in action since their childhood.

The artisans maintained a vegetarian diet for about seventy days till the completion of the return car festival. Earlier, they were awarded revenue free paddy land and orchards by the then rulers but at present the temple administration paid them in cash.

Apart from these carpenters, scores of Roopakaras (painters artists) display their skill by engraving and coloring the images of guarding deities on all four sides of the chariots.

A dozen of blacksmiths work to strengthen the weak portions particularly the wheels by reinforcing with iron clamps while the temple tailors work round the clock for a week to deck the three chariots with their prescribed coloured cloths.

In the early morning of the car festival, the ''Kalashas'' are fixed on the pinnacle of the chariots after consecration conducted by the priests.

The servitors then placed the insignia of the deities on the flag masts to keep the chariots ready to take on the three presiding deities for a nine-day journey from the main temple to the Gundicha temple, the aunt's house.

UNI