Sukhoi fighter jet tyres fitted on Lord Jagannath's chariot for ISKCON Kolkata Rath Yatra
After 48 years of using Boeing aircraft tyres, Kolkata's ISKCON Rath Yatra chariot has been upgraded with Sukhoi fighter jet tyres for this year's festival on June 27th. ISKCON sought replacements when the original Dunlop tyres became problematic, discovering that MRF's Sukhoi tyres matched the chariot's specifications.
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Forty-eight years after trundling on tyres used for Boeing aircraft, the chariot used during ISKCON's Rath Yatra in Kolkata has got new tyres that are used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets.The chariot, with the new set of tyres, will carry Lord Jagannath on this year's Rath Yatra which will be held on June 27.The ageing and worn-out old tyres have been replaced by the new tyres used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets, according to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata Radharaman Das told PTI on Monday that for the last 48 years, tyres used for Boeing aircraft were used to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath, but for the last 20 years they have been trying to get a replacement as technical issues cropped up with the four old tyres over time."We were looking for replacements but the maker of Boeing tyres, Dunlop had stopped operations years back. After thorough research, Sukhoi's tyres closely matched our specifications as those have the same diameter size tyres used in Boeing," he said."We then contacted MRF which makes tyres for the Sukhoi fighter jets. The company's experts came to Kolkata in December last year and inspected our chariot that carries the idol of Lord Jagannath on Rath yatra. After the tyres were fitted, the chariot had a test run for over 20 km in the city on May 31," he said.Some structural adjustments had to be made in the wooden chariot to fit in the Sukhoi tyres, Das said."So by the grace of Lord Jagannath his chariot got brand new tyres and we are confident of a smooth journey of the Lord on the day of auspicious Rath Yatra on June 27 and Ultorath-The return car festival on July 5," he added.Each of the four tyres can withstand a load of 16 tonnes. The chariots of other deities will have iron wheels as usual.Asked if using fighter aircraft tyres for pulling the chariot of the Lord is unique and unprecedented, Das said, "We had fitted Boeing tyres with the main chariot in 1977 for the Lord's journey on the roads of Kolkata. We have no information about such practices followed elsewhere in the country or Asia."
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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Construction of Kendrapada's chariot for Rath Yatra underway
Kendrapada: The construction of a massive 65-ft-long chariot with 14 wheels is in full swing at the historic Baladevjew temple in Ichapur, Kendrapada for the upcoming annual Rath Yatra on June 27. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 300-year-old temple, located in what is known as 'Tulasi Khetra', is dedicated to Lord Baladev, elder brother of Lord Jagannath. "We procured 760 cubic feet of sal wood from Telkoi forest department in Keonjhar district for constructing the state's second-biggest wooden chariot," said Balabhadra Patri, executive officer of Baladevjew temple. The construction began on May 23, delayed due to late wood procurement from the forest department. Of the 14 wheels of the chariot 'Bramahataladhawaja', only four new wheels are being built while 10 are being repaired, owing to wood quality constraints. About 25 carpenters are working to complete the chariot before the festival. Poll What aspect of the Rath Yatra excites you the most? The chariot procession The rituals and prayers The temple faced challenges during last year's Rath Yatra when three wheels were damaged, causing the chariot to bend during the procession. "This year, we're taking extra precautions to ensure proper repair of old wheels by expert carpenters," Patri added. Priest Niranjan Dash expressed concerns about the use of cast-off timber in construction, similar to last year when the chariot took four days to cover the 2-km journey to Mausima temple. The art of chariot-making here is a hereditary craft. Saroj Moharana, 54, a third-generation carpenter with three decades of experience, learned the trade from his father and grandfather. "As Rath Yatra approaches, chariot makers enter their busiest season," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to Pradeep Moharana, 56, another local carpenter, the number of families practising this art has declined from 40 to around 20 over four decades. Historical records show that the present Baladevjew temple was built in 1761 by Raja Gopal Sandha of Kujang during the Maratha rule.
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India.com
3 days ago
- India.com
From Runways To Rath Yatra: This Is How Sukhoi Fighter Jet Tyres To Support Lord Jagannaths Chariot
In a harmonious fusion of tradition and contemporary technology, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata has installed tyres utilized in Sukhoi 4th generation fighter aircraft onto Lord Jagannath's chariot for the Rath Yatra of this year. The festival, one of the city's most eagerly awaited spiritual celebrations, will be held on June 27. This is a major upgrade following 48 years of utilising Boeing aircraft tyres for the chariot. ISKCON authorities state that the old Boeing tyres had created technical problems, and efforts to find appropriate substitutes over the past two decades were underway. "We were facing issues with the old tyres and tried for years to find an alternative. Since Dunlop, the manufacturer of the original Boeing tyres, shut operations long ago, we explored other options," said ISKCON Kolkata Vice President Radharaman Das in an interview. "After extensive research, we discovered that tyres used in Sukhoi fighter jets matched the diameter and load specifications required for the chariot. We reached out to MRF, the manufacturer of Sukhoi tyres, and their team inspected our chariot in December 2023," he mentioned. After the evaluation, the tyres were installed on the main wooden chariot, which completed a successful trial run of 20 kilometres in Kolkata on May 31. Das assured that structural changes were incorporated to fit the new tyres. All four of the Sukhoi tyres are capable of carrying a maximum load of 16 tonnes, facilitating the safe transport of the chariot during the Rath Yatra and Ultorath, which is scheduled on July 5. The chariots of the deities accompanying Lord Jagannath will still run on conventional iron wheels. "This is possibly a first-of-its-kind move in the country, if not Asia. We initially fitted Boeing tyres back in 1977, and to our knowledge, such a practice of using aircraft or fighter jet tyres in religious processions is unprecedented," Das said. The new tyres are likely to provide a smoother and safer ride for Lord Jagannath down the roads of Kolkata, as thousands of believers line up to watch the religious procession.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Sukhoi fighter jet tyres fitted on Lord Jagannath's chariot for ISKCON Kolkata Rath Yatra
After 48 years of using Boeing aircraft tyres, Kolkata's ISKCON Rath Yatra chariot has been upgraded with Sukhoi fighter jet tyres for this year's festival on June 27th. ISKCON sought replacements when the original Dunlop tyres became problematic, discovering that MRF's Sukhoi tyres matched the chariot's specifications. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Forty-eight years after trundling on tyres used for Boeing aircraft, the chariot used during ISKCON's Rath Yatra in Kolkata has got new tyres that are used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter chariot, with the new set of tyres, will carry Lord Jagannath on this year's Rath Yatra which will be held on June ageing and worn-out old tyres have been replaced by the new tyres used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets, according to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata Radharaman Das told PTI on Monday that for the last 48 years, tyres used for Boeing aircraft were used to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath, but for the last 20 years they have been trying to get a replacement as technical issues cropped up with the four old tyres over time."We were looking for replacements but the maker of Boeing tyres, Dunlop had stopped operations years back. After thorough research, Sukhoi's tyres closely matched our specifications as those have the same diameter size tyres used in Boeing," he said."We then contacted MRF which makes tyres for the Sukhoi fighter jets. The company's experts came to Kolkata in December last year and inspected our chariot that carries the idol of Lord Jagannath on Rath yatra. After the tyres were fitted, the chariot had a test run for over 20 km in the city on May 31," he structural adjustments had to be made in the wooden chariot to fit in the Sukhoi tyres, Das said."So by the grace of Lord Jagannath his chariot got brand new tyres and we are confident of a smooth journey of the Lord on the day of auspicious Rath Yatra on June 27 and Ultorath-The return car festival on July 5," he of the four tyres can withstand a load of 16 tonnes. The chariots of other deities will have iron wheels as if using fighter aircraft tyres for pulling the chariot of the Lord is unique and unprecedented, Das said, "We had fitted Boeing tyres with the main chariot in 1977 for the Lord's journey on the roads of Kolkata. We have no information about such practices followed elsewhere in the country or Asia."
