Bhubaneswar: The preparation for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri began with the ceremonial cutting of logs for the three chariots at Cuttack on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday.
The sacred process commenced after the wood was blessed with an ‘Agyan Mala’ from the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. This blessing marks the beginning of the construction of the chariots that will be used for the annual procession.
The initial phase of the chariot-making process involved the sawing of three pieces of wood, which will then proceed to subsequent stages as the construction continues.
The Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, was present on the occasion, along with other senior officials.
They were joined by the head carpenter (Maharana), who played a crucial role in overseeing the ceremony and ensuring that all traditional rituals were followed meticulously.
“The preparation process for this year’s Rath Yatra has already begun. As is customary, the logs meant for the chariot construction were worshipped on Basant Panchami and the Chirata rituals are now being performed on Ram Navami. Every year, the sawing of the logs takes place at the Khapuria sawmill in Cuttack. The process of constructing the chariots will officially commence on Akshaya Tritiya,” said Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee while speaking to media persons.
Laxman Mohapatra, the head carpenter, also shared his thoughts, “Today marks the ‘Rath Katha Chirata’ ritual in Cuttack. In line with tradition, the Chirata rituals for the three ‘Dhaura’ logs are being performed today. From this point, the Chirata work will continue and the next step will be the commencement of chariot construction on Akshaya Tritiya.”
The chariot-making process is an essential part of the grand Rath Yatra and every year, these traditional rituals are followed to ensure the proper construction of the chariots for the Lord Jagannath procession.
