Pipli appliques, flowers to decorate Puri chariots

Puri, June 27 (UNI) This year the world famous Car festival in Puri will be more colourful with Pipli applique works and flowers decorating the three chariots.

The traditional temple artisans are busy in carving beautiful images of celestial bodies to be fixed on four sides of the chariots The brass and bell metal art work would also be used to beautify the three chariots, temple chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said.

As announced the temple has taken steps to insure all the devotees and the insurance company would pay Rs 5 lakh in case of loss of life or permanent disability within the Puri municipality area during the fete.

The insurance coverage, Mr Mohapatra said would be in force from June 30 to July 8 till the end of the nine day sojourn of the presiding deities of the Jagannath temple. The temple has already paid the premiums to the insurance company against the assured sum, he added.

The temple had also paid premiums to the insurance company against another insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh against death or permanent disability due to any accident inside the temple complex, the chief administrator said.

He said the temple has taken some precautionary steps like installation of mobile jammers in the temple and prohibit use of fire crackers around the temple on social occasions.

It has roped in the generous services of several multinational companies to create better facility in the city to accommodate lakhs of devotees during the fete. This included mobile privy services, installation of temporary pilgrim shelters and illumination of the city during the fete.

The temple has allocated a budget of about Rs.80 lakh for the Car festival,50 per cent of which would go to the temple servivors for their special service during the Rath Yatra while over Rs.20 lakh had been spent on constructing the three gigantic chariots for Lord Jagannath,his elder brother Lord Balavadra and their sister Devi Subhadra.

UNI