Noted sand sculptor creates replica of Jagannath chariot festival in Puri

Puri (Orissa), July 13 (ANI): Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik toiled hard to create eye-catching sculpture of the Jagannath 'Rath Yatra'.

Pattnaik created a five-feet-high sand sculpture using coloured sand, which included Lord Jagannath, and the three chariots.

It took Pattnaik and his team over five hours and 10 tons of sand to complete the sculptures of the three chariots of Lord Jagannath.

Millions of devotees and visitors from across the world are pouring in for the festival marked by the massive procession, which moves through the city's decorated streets for over six hours.

Billed as the biggest in the world, Puri's annual 'Rath Yatra' of Hindu god Lord Jagannath sees a sea of Hindu devotees follow a series of hand-pulled, brightly decorated chariots carrying idols of the Hindu Gods, as the procession winds its way along the traditional route.

Pattnaik said he sculpted the sand replicas as a tribute to the festival.

The festival marks a journey in a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple, where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple.

The annual Rath Yatra is held in June-July and has been going on for the last ten centuries.

The Jagannath temple, located about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for Hindus in India.

According to Hindu believers, Lord Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, one of the trinity of the Hindu pantheon. The other two are Brahma, the Creator and Shiva, the Destroyer. (ANI)