Exploring Puri Jagannath's chariot through these lesser-known facts
Nearly more than 125 carpenters work for 58 days at the Mahakhala (in front of the King’s palace) and shape out the 2188 pieces of wood for the construction of 3 chariots.
NewsBharati 01-Jul-2022 17:10:57 PM
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The iconic Rath Yatra festival in Lord Jagannath is being celebrated with huge pomp in Puri, Odisha today. Lakhs of devotees assembled outside the Puri Jagannath Temple from where the chariots are pulled and taken Gundicha Temple. When we talk about the chariots, there are many interesting details which are aren’t known to us, but hold great significance. Let us get to know a little more about these and their making today.
The rope used to pull the Chariot is known as Shankahchuda. Along with Jagannath, the chariot also has the idols of Varaha, Govardhana, Krushna, Nrusimgha, Rama, Narayana, Trivikrama, Hanuman and Rudra.
The Chariot of Sri Balabhadra, called as the Taladhwaja, is the one with the Palm Tree on its flag, has a green and red colour canopy and it is the second largest of the chariots. It has 14 wheels, each of 7-foot diameter. The height of Taladhwaja is 44 feet.
Along with Balabhadra, the chariot also has the idols of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Sarvamangala, Pralambari, Halayudha, Mrutyunjaya, Natamvara, Mukteshwar & Sheshadeva. The Chariot of Maa Subhadra is known as Devadalana. It is also known as Darpadalana and Padmadhwaja.
Some interesting facts about the yatra: Interestingly the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra are made of neem wood. Neem wood is chosen because as per the Bhavishya Purana it is the most auspicious wood that make idols of Vishnu.
It is said that no birds or planes fly above the Puri Jagannath temple – a phenomenon which still remains a mystery. However, as per the religious belief, Lord Jagannath is carried by the king of birds 'Garuda Dev' - the divine eagle who is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu and Lord Jagannath.
It is believed that since Garuda Dev protects the Puri Jagannath temple, birds are scared of flying above the holy place. For planes, none of them fly above the temple because the place where the temple is situated does not come under any flying route.
Another interesting fact about the Puri Jagannath Temple is that the flag on top of the sanctum always floats in the opposite direction of the wind – which defies science. Not just that, the chakra atop temple, 20 feet in height and weighing a top is visible from any corner of the city.
The chariots of Rath Yatra are made for the main deities of Jagannath Sri Mandir. Nearly more than 125 carpenters work for 58 days at the Mahakhala (in front of the King’s palace) and shape out the 2188 pieces of wood for the construction of 3 chariots.
The construction work commences on the Akshya Trutiya and nearly 1090 metres radiant colour cloth are used to cover chariots. The chariot of Sri Jagannath is known as Nandighosha. It has a yellow and red color canopy and it is also the largest of the chariots with 4 white horses.
The height of Nandighosha is 45 feet and it has 16 wheels. It also prominently displays the Sudarshana Chakra. The guardian deity of the chariot is Garuda and the charioteer is known as Daruka. The flag on the chariot is known as Trailokyamohini.
The rope used to pull the Chariot is known as Shankahchuda. Along with Jagannath, the chariot also has the idols of Varaha, Govardhana, Krushna, Nrusimgha, Rama, Narayana, Trivikrama, Hanuman and Rudra.
The Chariot of Sri Balabhadra, called as the Taladhwaja, is the one with the Palm Tree on its flag, has a green and red colour canopy and it is the second largest of the chariots. It has 14 wheels, each of 7-foot diameter. The height of Taladhwaja is 44 feet.
The guardian deity of the chariot is Vasudev and the charioteer is known as Matali. Gate Keepers of the Chariot are Nanda and Sunanda and the flag on the chariot is known as Unnani. The rope that is used to pull the Chariot is known as Basuki.
The Devadalana has a black and red colored canopy and it is also the smallest of the chariots and it has 4 red horses. The height of the Chariot is 43 feet and has 12 wheels. The guardian deity of the chariot is Jayadurga and the charioteer is known as Arjuna.
The flag on the chariot is known as Nadambika. The rope that is used to pull the Chariot is known as Swarnachuda. Along with Subhadra, the chariot also has the idols of Chandi, Chamunda, Ugratara, Vanadurga, Shulidurga, Varahi, Shyama Kali, Mangala and Bimala.
It is said that no birds or planes fly above the Puri Jagannath temple – a phenomenon which still remains a mystery. However, as per the religious belief, Lord Jagannath is carried by the king of birds 'Garuda Dev' - the divine eagle who is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu and Lord Jagannath.
It is believed that since Garuda Dev protects the Puri Jagannath temple, birds are scared of flying above the holy place. For planes, none of them fly above the temple because the place where the temple is situated does not come under any flying route.
Another interesting fact about the Puri Jagannath Temple is that the flag on top of the sanctum always floats in the opposite direction of the wind – which defies science. Not just that, the chakra atop temple, 20 feet in height and weighing a top is visible from any corner of the city.
These were some of the interesting details of the Rath Yatra which many aren’t aware of.
Kinjal Dixit
Kinjal Dixit has a degree in bachelors in English and is currently pursuing her Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has a hand at writing about infrastructure, culture and in sharing humanitarian stories.