Forest dept sends 2nd batch of timber for chariot work
Sri Jagannath Temple Administration
(SJTA) for construction of chariots for the Rath Yatra. The construction of chariots for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra started from Akshya Trutiya on April 30.Altogether 36 specially-selected Dharua timber logs, each measuring 20 ft in length and six ft in girth, were sent to Puri on Monday evening after performing the ritual, said Himansu Sekhar Mohanty, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Ghumusar north division on Tuesday.This timber was collected from Baibili reserve forest in Muzagarh forest range after being selected by forest officials and approved contractors.
These logs would serve as the vital axles of the chariots.Along the routes, several devotees welcomed the sacred logs with folded hands and Jagannath bhajans. Traditional drums and conches resonated through the villages and towns.The first lot of the timber was despatched to Puri on May 6. In the first phase, 23 pieces of dharua and asana timbers, each measuring 40 ft in length and 4 to 5 ft in girth were collected from Ghoghada forest under Tarsingi range, he said."Marking and cutting of the trees were conducted with utmost reverence, with each tree geo-tagged using GPS to ensure transparency and sanctity," said the DFO. The dharua trees, revered for their strength and resilience, were sourced after thorough selection across the Bibali and Ghogoda reserve forests.Ganjam district has been supplying different species of logs for the last four years for construction of chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. Every year, the chariots are made from new wood. The Nayagarh forest division supplied the logs for chariots.
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