Puri: Construction of chariots for the world-famous annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings began here today on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Trutiya.
Three logs of ‘dhaura’ variety wood were consecrated at the temporary shed erected in front of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) office as per Banajaga rituals after receipt of ‘angyan mala’ from Mahaprabhu.
The temple priest, the Puri titular king’s ‘rajguru’ and brahmins well versed in the Vedas conducted a ‘yagna’ at the specially built ‘yagnashala’. Oblations were offered to Lord Nursingha during the yagna as part of the consecration process of the three logs.
Earlier, keeping with the tradition, the temple priest while chanting Maa Dakshin Kali’s mantra had symbolically chopped three logs of the ‘asan’ variety using three small axes made of gold.
Subsequently, the logs were handed over to Maharana sevayats (carpenter servitors) for undertaking the construction of chariots for Rath Yatra.
