Dense natural 'phasi' forest traced in Orissa

Puri, Feb 25: Much to the delight of the Jagannath temple administration, the forest and temple officials have located a number of dense 'Phasi' forest on the banks of Mahanadi in Nayagarh district.

The Phasi timbers are used to construct the giant chariots for the world famous Rath Yatra at Puri.

'' There will be no shortage of the timbers now as the new Phasi forests have been located by the officials. The forest will last for more than a century,'' Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said.

It was a serious cause of concern for the temple management and the forest department for past few years to provide the required size of timbers for the three chariots as the existing Phasi tree population in the state was dwindling.

Earlier, the princely states of Nayagarh, Duspalla and Khandpara used to provide the timbers. Currently, the forest department had been providing seasoned Phasi, Asana and Daura timber logs for construction of chariots.

Of late, the forest department had shown its inability to provide the timbers due to non-availability of desired seasoned trees in the forest.

This forced the temple management to appeal the devotees to donate Phasi timbers for the annual nine day sojourn of Lord Jagannath to the Gundicha temple on the chariots.

The devotees finally responded to the appeal and since last five years they have been contributing to the requirement of Phasi timber. They were issued certificates of acknowledgements from the temple for their generous contribution, Mr Mohapatra said. He further said the recent findings of nearly seventy thousand seasoned Phasi forests in different places along the banks of Mahanadi and Kusumi rivers under Khandapara forest division of Nayagarh had brought cheers to the temple and forest officials.

Mr Mohapatra said two big forests, Jambubani and Patibani, having Phasi population over thirty two thousand each on the banks of the two rivers had been located.

The Temple Chief Administrator said almost 15 yars ago the administration, anticipating the possible shortage of Phasi timber in future for the chariots, had undertaken a massive Phasi tree plantation through the district rural development agency but nobody had taken this plantation into account.

This apart a natural Phasi forest having about ten thousand matured trees has been traced in Sidhamula area under Gania block, Mr Mohapatra said.

'' Since the annual Rath construction requires only sixty pieces of Phasi timber these forests would be able to meet the needs for more than a century,'' he said.

He further stated the administration had also created the special Phasi plantation drive for last couple of years in a big way adding that Phasi banks would be created in every block.

UNI