TV
After completion of the nine-day annual sojourn of the Holy Trinity- Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra, the dismantling of their chariots has begun at Srimandir in Puri on Sunday.
As per tradition, the Bhoi servitors have started dismantling the Darpadalana chariot of Goddess Subdhadra first after getting due permission from the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). Subsequently, Taladhwaja and Nandighosa, the chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath respectively, will be dismantled.
As many as eight Bhoi servitors have been engaged in the dismantling work.
“At first, Devi Subhadra’s chariot, ‘Darpadalana’, is being dismantled following which Lord Balabhadra’s ‘Taladhwaja’ and Lord Jagannath’s ‘Nandighosa’ chariots will be disassembled, in a phased manner. It will take four to five days to dismantle one chariot,” said Bhoi Sardar Rabi Bhoi.
Sudarshan Mekap, another senior servitor, said, “After disassembling the chariots, the wheels, ‘Guja’, ‘Asuari’ and ‘Prabha’ and the dismantled wooden components will be shifted to Gundicha temple. Every day three quintals of wood will be brought from the Gundicha temple to Srimandir to cook the ‘Kotha Bhoga’ of the Holy Trinity.”
“While few wheels will be gifted to some temples and mutts, the remaining will be available for sale. The wheels of Lord Jagannath’s chariots have been priced at Rs 1.5 lakh per piece, while the wheels of other chariots will be sold at Rs 50,000 each,” Mekap added.
Unlike the construction of chariots which starts from the base (wheels, axle, etc), the dismantling begins from the top (which goes like this kalash, olta sua, khapuri parabadhi, potala etc). Earlier horses, charioteers and ‘parshwa deva-devis’ were taken away from the chariots.
After disassembling the chariots, the Bhoi servitors will submit the nails used in the construction of the chariots at the SJTA office. The SJTA will sell the wheels, ‘Prabha’, ‘Dwara Bedha’ and ‘Kana Guja’.
The dismantled wooden components will be used in the Srimandir’s kitchen to cook the ‘Kotha Bhoga’.
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