Puri. On the festival of Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, a large number of devotees from India and abroad have gathered in Puri, Odisha. Lord Jagannath where Nandighosh rides on the chariot. Whereas, his brother Balbhadra ji Taladhwaj and sister Devi Subhadra travel in Darpadalan chariot. The chariot of Lord Jagannath has 16 wheels. Whereas 14 wheels are installed in the chariot of Balabhadra ji and 12 wheels are installed in the chariot of Goddess Subhadra. Let us tell you today how the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra Di and Goddess Subhadra are made and what is the use of their wood after the Rath Yatra.
The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra ji and Goddess Subhadra are made from Neem wood. Because Neem is considered sacred. Apart from this, woods of Asan, Dhaura and Phasi trees are also used in different parts of the chariot. Wood for making chariots is brought from the forests around Puri. Another strict prohibition is that no metal should be used in the chariot. Because of this, nails are not used in the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra ji and Goddess Subhadra. The wood is cut into slots and placed on each other and chariots are made. The work of making the chariot starts from the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya.
After the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is over, the wood of all the three chariots are opened. These woods are used in cooking Mahaprasad in the kitchen of Lord Jagannath temple. Also, some special parts of the chariots are auctioned or given as gifts to the devotees. Keeping the wood of Lord Jagannath’s chariot in the house is considered very auspicious. Apart from this, some artists also buy wood for the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra ji and Goddess Subhadra. From which they create artwork. Due to this, the ancient craftsmanship of Odisha also reaches the country and abroad and brings fame to the artists here.
