Rath Yatra: All you want to know about the chariots of the Holy Trinity

The three chariots of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannatha are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. Read on to learn some interesting facts and significance of chariots of Puri rath yatra.

Puri: The world-famous Jagannath Rath Yatra will begin on June 23 from Puri in Odisha. For Jagannath Rath Yatra, lakhs of people will converge at Jagannath Temple in Puri to witness Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra riding three giant wooden chariots which are pulled by devotees as they travel to Gundicha temple.

In Jagannath Rath Yatra, people crave for beautiful and huge cars. Many skilled workers, architects, and engineers flock together to produce these three magnificent chariots known as the Rathas.

Here are some interesting facts and significance of chariots of Puri Rath Yatra.

Nandighosh Rath

Rath Yatra: All you want to know about the chariots of the Holy Trinity

The chariot of Lord Jagannath is known as Nandighosh Rath. It is also known as Garudadhwaja and Kapidhwaja. People can identify the Chariot of Lord Jagannath by its colour. The chariot of Jagannath has a yellow and red colour canopy and it is also the largest of the chariots. The Chariot has 4 horses and the colour of the horses is White. The height of the Chariot is 45 feet and it has 16 wheels. It also prominently displays the Sudarshana Chakra emblem.

Taladhwaja Rath

Rath Yatra: All you want to know about the chariots of the Holy Trinity

The chariot of Lord Balabhadra is known as Taladhwaja. People can identify the Chariot of Lord Balabhadra by its colour. The chariot of Balabhadra has a green and red colour canopy and it is the second largest of the chariots. The Chariot has 4 horses and the colour of the horses is Black. The height of the Chariot is 44 feet and it has 14 wheels.

Devadalana Rath

Rath Yatra: All you want to know about the chariots of the Holy Trinity

The chariot of Lord Subhadra is known as Devadalana. It is also known as Darpadalana and Padmadhwaja. People can identify the Chariot of Goddess Subhadra by its colour. The chariot of Subhadra has a black and red colour canopy and it is also the smallest of the chariots. The Chariot has 4 horses and the colour of the horses is red. The height of the Chariot is 43 feet and it has 12 wheels. The guardian deity of the chariot is Jayadurga and the charioteer is known as Arjuna.

The most surprising fact is that the wooden logs required for construction of the chariots are not measured in foot or metre. The measurement of all the components of the Chariots like wheels, axils, pillars, top portions of the chariots is done by the head carpenter.

The height of the Nandighosh chariot of Lord Sri Jagannath is 33 cubits (a cubit is approximately the length of the forearm) and five fingers; it has 16 wheels and 832 log pieces are used to build the chariot. The height of Goddess Subhadra’s Chariot ‘Darpadalan’ is 31 cubits. The number of wheels of this chariot is 12 and a total of 593 log pieces are used to make this. The height of the ‘Taladhwaja’, the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, elder brother of Lord Jagannath is 32 cubits and 10 fingers and it is built with 763 log pieces.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Bijay Moharana, chief carpenter of chariots, said, "The making and decoration of the chariots used for the journey of the three deities carry a lot of importance. However, at present, the construction work of the three chariots is going on with full swing for the ensuing car festival. The work has reached the last phase. These three grand chariots are built in a special style."

"Every year the sacred collection of timber required for the making of the chariots starts on “Sri Panchami” which is also known as “Saraswati Puja”. After the sacred beginning, the collection of timbers for the chariots begins. A total of 865 timber logs are required for making the three chariots," he said.

"The actual construction work of the chariots starts from Akshaya Tritiya day. While every year the building of the chariots was commencing in front of the ‘the King’s palace, this year because of corona pandemic the auspicious ceremonial beginning of the construction work was done in the temple complex. After traditional worships, the Biswakarma servitor (Head carpenter) starts the construction work. The ‘Bhoi’ servitors, painters, blacksmiths and carpenters engaged in the sawing of the logs have an important role in the making of the chariots," said Gourishankar Singhari, Singhari Servitor.

"A total of 58 days are required to complete the construction work. On the day the Trinity comes out of their “Anasara” (Secret treatment chamber) and appear before his devotees in their attracting vigour. The 'pahandi' of the deities begin in the morning when the three gods along with Lord Sudarsana are taken out in a procession to their chariots parked in front of the Jagannath temple. After which the three chariots are dragged and placed in front of Lion’s gate of the temple. After the deities are placed on their respective chariots, they are pulled by the people from all religions and walks of life," Singhari added.