Jharsuguda: Sanjob village of Brajrajnagar NAC in Jharsuguda district has a special connection with Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra in Puri.
Sanjob’s Jagu Benia and his friends make the brake system used in the three chariots of Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Darpa Dalana belonging to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra respectively.
These brakes play a crucial role in ensuring a mishap-free Rath Yatra in Puri every year since 2008.
Former employees of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd’s (MCL’s) Lajkura open cast project Jagu Benia and engineer Aswini Mishra, along with Prashant Benia, and Trilochan Badhai prepare the brake system for the three chariots using 36 pieces of nylon rubber belts, each piece measuring 12 inches in length, 9 inches wide and 16 mm thick.
In addition to the nylon rubber belts, 15 kg of ‘nihana kanta’ (special iron nails), 5 kg ‘jukhia kanta’ (special iron nails) and 3 kg washers are used in the preparation of the brake system.
These nihana kanta, jukhia kanta are manufactured at Jagu’s smithy. It takes Jagu and his associates nearly a week to manufacture the brake system. Jagu and his associates leave for Puri five days ahead of the Shree Gundicha Yatra to affix the brake system to the chariots.
“We have been making the brake system since 2008. The brake system makes the manoeuvring of the chariots easy. It is a service to the Lord. It is happening as per his wish we can’t do anything on our own. We have a five-member committee-Ashwini Mishra, Prasanta Benia (my son), Dhaniram Bagh and Trilochan Badhai. We five visit Puri to affix the brake system,” said Jagu.
He said that they will be leaving for Puri today and board the Tapaswini Express at 8 PM from Jharsuguda.
Jagu’s son Prashant said that it takes around 4-5 days of work for constructing the brake system.
He has been accompanying his father to Puri since 2009 to affix the brake system.
“We reach Puri 4-5 days before the Rath Yatra for affixing the brake systems to the chariots. It takes 3-4 days to fix the brake systems of the chariots. We return when the chariots reach in front of Singha Dwar after the conduct of trials,” said Prashant.
Trilochan said that ever since the brake system has been installed in the chariots, there has been no occurrence of accidents.
Engineer Ashwini Mishra decided to come up with the brake system when he read about the accidental death of a devotee under the wheels of one of the chariots in mid-2000.
Ashwini then approached the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to come up with the brake system.
He made a presentation of the brake model before the SJTA. The SJTA approved the brake model. Ashwini roped in Jagu Benia, Prasanta Benia, Trilochan Badhai, and Dhaniram Bagh and together they constructed the brakes that were installed in the chariots in 2008.
Jagu and his associates charge no money for the brake systems and the installation of these on the chariots. They spend from their own pockets and consider it as a service to the Lord.
