The process of wood cutting for the construction of the three chariots for the famous Rath Yatra festival in Puri formally kicked off at Cuttack on Sunday.
The slicing of the wood logs collected from various forests has begun at the Cuttack Khapuria government saw mill today on the occasion of the Ram Navami.
A team led by superintendent of the Rath works, Sudarshan Mekap reached the saw mill with the ritualistic divine consent (Agyan Mala or holy garland) from the Puri Srimandir for the consecration of the ceremony.
In the first phase, three logs of Dhaura wood have been sliced at the saw mill.
As per the long-followed tradition, the timber logs will be sliced till all the specified numbers of pieces are prepared for commencement of the construction works of the chariots from the day of Akshay Tritiya.
The construction of the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra takes place near the royal palace of the Jagannath Temple in Puri with the tireless efforts of hundreds of carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors, and painters.
According to the usual practice, 865 logs of Dhaura, Phasi, Asana are generally used in the construction of the three magnificent wooden chariots.
The Rath Yatra of the Holy Trinity is scheduled to be held this year on July 1.