Puri : The process for dismantling of the three chariots-Taladhwaja, Nandighosa, and Darpadalana belonging respectively to Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Goddess Subhadra began here today.
The chariots which were used by the deities in this year’s Rath Yatra, a unique and historic car festival of the Lords sans lakhs of teeming devotees on the Bada Danda keeping with the orders of the Supreme Court in view of the on-going Covid pandemic, after being dismantled will be shifted and reassembled to be parked and preserved for posterity at Jagannath Ballav mutt, the pleasure garden of Lord Jagannath.
“Dismantling has begun. After dismantling wood derived from the chariots will be shifted to Jagannath Ballav mutt where it would be preserved at a suitable place with security. Every piece of wood will have a marking giving details. These pieces of wood will be used for reassembling of the chariots. Pieces that are damaged while dismantling will be replaced,” informed Sudarsan Mekap, Caretaker of the chariots.
The dismantling process today started Goddess Subhadra’s chariot-Darpadalana.
“The process for the dismantling of chariots which began today is underway. The process is underway in the presence of Mukhya Maharana sevayat (chief carpenter servitor). Six Kamara sevayats (blacksmith servitors) for removal of nails and 15 Bhoi sevayats (labourer servitors who help in the construction of chariots) have been deployed for the dismantling work,” informed Rabi Bhoi, Bhoi Sardar (team leader of Bhoi servitors).
Dismantling of Goddess Subhadra’s chariot is underway, he added.
“Unlike the construction of chariots which starts with the base (wheels, axle, etc), dismantling starts from the top,” Bhoi stated.
He said that they have been asked to complete the dismantling of chariots within 25 days.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had written a letter to the Bhoi Sardar for dismantling the chariots.
A decision to preserve the chariots was taken at a joint meeting of the Chhatisha Nijog and Managing Committee of the Shree Jagannath Temple earlier.
A high-level committee has been constituted for the reassembly of the chariots.
The committee mostly comprises of members of the temple’s technical committee, servitors, and Chief Maharana.
Usually, chariots are dismantled after the conduct of Rath Yatra every year. The timber extracted is used as firewood in the temple’s kitchen for the preparation of ‘Kotha Bhoga’ of the Lords.