Puri: The dismantling of the three chariots used in the annual Rath Yatra began in Puri on Tuesday, with Bhoi servitors starting the process with Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot under the supervision of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
As per tradition, Darpadalana is dismantled first, followed by Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja and Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosa chariots. The dismantling process began with the removal of the kalasa (pinnacle) from Darpadalana.
Bhoi Sardar Rabi Bhoi said the servitors began the work following instructions from the SJTA.
“After receiving instructions from the SJTA, we started the dismantling work. As the Bhoi Sardar, I received the letter from the administration and accordingly, we first started dismantling the kalasa of Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot. The process is currently underway,” Rabi Bhoi said.
Senior Bhoi servitor Kartika Bhoi said the dismantling of Darpadalana is expected to take around five days.
“Following the instructions of the temple administration, we started dismantling Devi Subhadra’s chariot today. It will take around five days to complete. After that, we will dismantle Taladhwaja and then Nandighosa. The entire process is expected to take around 15 days,” he said.
The dismantling of the chariots is carried out as per established tradition after the completion of the Rath Yatra. Various components of the chariots are separated during the process.
According to the practice followed by the SJTA, reusable components such as wheels and door frames are later auctioned. Smaller wooden pieces are used as firewood for preparing ‘Kotha Bhoga’, the food offering prepared for the deities.
The dismantling process is expected to continue for around 15 days, with all three chariots to be taken apart sequentially.
