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800 carpenters giving shape to chariots of Lord Jagannath

     Puri: Traditionally skilled craftsmen of Orissa are busy putting together the famous wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath in the holy city of Puri for an annual "Rath Yatra" (Journey of Chariots) due next month. About 80 carpenters, who are traditionally attached with the construction of the chariot, are giving shape to 1,139 wood pieces which will be used for making three chariots. The wood is collected from the forests of Dasapalla in the state. Earlier the local royal family used to donate the wood. Building these chariots is a very skilled job as these giant wooden structures resembling Biblical vehicles weigh tens of tonnes and wheels more than two metres in diameter.

   Temple authorities said the work was progressing as scheduled. "The wood comes from Khurda and Nayagarh villages of Orissa. A total of 1,139 pieces of wood are required to make the chariot. The varieties include Fasi, Ashok, Sahash, Dhaura (varieties of wood) etc. Administration has provided their quota of whatever was required of them. The construction work is going smoothly," said Laxmi Dhar Pujapanda, spokesperson of Orissa temple administration. "I have been working here for the last 50 years. I learnt the skill from my father and grandfather. As I am working since my childhood I know how to make the measurements," said Lingraj Mohapatra, one of the carpenters, said. These craftsmen use their fingers and hands for the accurate measurements and not the common inch and foot system of measurement. At the termination of the ceremony, the chariots are broken up and used to manufacture religious relics. Every year, new chariots are made. The three chariots are pulled by *thousands of devotees. The yatra or the procession is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple.

    The Jagannath temple in Puri, about 60 kilometres from state capital Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places in India. Lord Jagannath is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, one of the trinities of the Hindu pantheon. The other two are - Brahma, the Creator, and Shiva, the Destroyer. Lord Jagannath's idol is carved in wood, a practice going back to early history when the people of Orissa worshipped trees.
- June 15, 2004