With the world-famous Rath Yatra approaching fast, the Darji (tailor) servitors of the Srimandir are run off their feet. They have to complete the stitching of the canopies of the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
As only six days are left to the Netra Utsav, which is celebrated after 14 days of the deities’ Anasara period, the Darji servitors are working round the clock to finish the stitching of the canopy coverings of the three chariots. They will complete the stitching work by June 17 and on June 18, will decorate the chariots with the canopies.
For the three chariots, a total of 1250 meters of red, yellow, green and black cloths are required. These cloths are specially procured from Ahmadabad. While, red and green colour cloths are required for Lord Balabhadra’s chariot Taladhwaja, red and yellow colour cloths are required for Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh chariot and red and black colour cloths are used for Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan chariot. For the decoration of the three chariots, 24 ‘batas’, 72 ‘bilasapatis’ 12 ‘duarabedhas’, 12 ‘chandrashalis’, 12 ‘anlashrees’, three ‘potals’, ‘polamudra’, ‘polachadars’, ‘ratha ghera’, 24 ‘mendhamundias’, 24 ‘magarbatas’ and clothes for charioteers are stitched.
“Lord Jagannath’s chariot requires 425 meters of red and yellow cloths. Devi Subhadra’s chariot needs 400 meters of red and black cloth and 425 meters of red and green cloth are required for Lord Balabhadra’s chariot. Our work is on the verge of completion,” said Prakash Mahapatra, the head of the Darji servitors.
“Darji servitors are those servitors, who prepare canopies for the three chariots. And the chariots are covered two days before Rath Yatra,” informed Pandit Surya Narayan Rathasharma, Jagannath culture researcher.