KIIT prepares for vibrant celebration of faith and culture
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'Artworks and painting on the chariots will be completed soon. The chariots will be covered with colourful cloth. By Wednesday, we will be ready for the annual sojourn of the holy trinity,' said Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT and KISS, who performs the 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual before the chariots roll.
Regarding the building of Jagannath Temple on the KISS campus, Samanta said, 'A person named Surendra Das once came to me and talked about his dream related to the installation of deities at KISS.
Initially, we could not believe it, but later we made a decision to build the temple.'
Over the years, Samanta said the temple has hosted numerous social events, reinforcing its role as a social nucleus. 'The annual Rath Yatra draws people in hordes from far and wide,' he added.
The KIIT shrine follows rituals of the Puri Jagannath Temple and has expanded to include a permanent Gundicha Temple/Mausi Ma Temple, built four years ago, about 1km away.
During the Rath Yatra, the chariots will proceed to the Mausi Ma Temple and remain there until the Bahuda Yatra.
Temple priest Basanta Hota said he cannot express his feelings in words. 'I never faced difficulties while following the Rath Yatra rituals or pujas. Service to the Lord and His siblings is my utmost priority. The deities mean a lot to me,' he added.
'The Rath Yatra attracts thousands of devotees from nearby villages, rest of the city, and KIIT and KISS.
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We all pull the chariots. We have been attending the festival since 2007. We eagerly wait for the Rath Yatra in our locality,' said Jhilli Behera, a resident of Pathargadia village.
The temple complex, comprising 12 shrines, has evolved into a significant religious and social hub, hosting various events, including marriages and thread ceremonies. 'We've created an inclusive space that welcomes all, fostering unity and shared cultural heritage,' said Rabindranath Biswal, general manager, KIIT Temple Trust.
Divine Devotion
KIIT Jagannath Temple was constructed in 2006. Rath Yatra officially started in 2007
Many Jagannath temples in the city have a single chariot for Rath Yatra, but this temple has three chariots for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra
The chariot of Devi Subhadra is pulled by women only. Devotees pull the chariots for around one kilometre from the Jagannath Temple at KISS campus to Gundicha Temple near Infocity Police Station
In 2023, the temple trust constructed three new chariots for Rath Yatra. This year, they are replacing the weak parts and repairing some portions
Chariot work starts from the day of Akshaya Tritiya and ends a day before Rath Yatra. A team of carpenters from Ganjam's Buguda takes part in the construction of chariots
The temple will organise musical programmes during the evening at Gundicha Temple from June 28 to July 4 and at Jagannath Temple on July 6 and 7
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Time of India
06-08-2025
- Time of India
Compensation for cut: Tree plantation in Bastar for losing 100s of trees for chariot
Raipur: In a bid to balance tradition with sustainability, authorities in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region have begun planting saplings annually to compensate for the "hundreds of trees felled" each year to build the towering wooden chariot for the 75-day Bastar Dussehra, one of India's longest and most traditionally significant festivals. State wildlife board members and forest department on the local level have initiated the plantation, taking a cue from Jagannath Puri in Odisha, where thousands of saplings are planted annually to compensate for the timber used in 'Rath Yatra'. Speaking to TOI, Hemant Kashyap, a member of the state wildlife board and an environmentalist said, "For about three chariots, nearly 200 trees are felled in Odisha and the rath committee plants four times the number of saplings, and the wood is sourced only after an 80-year cycle of a tree planted. In Bastar, a single chariot is built - the four-wheeled 'Phool Rath' initially which later turns into eight-wheeled called 'Vijay Rath' — requiring felling of nearly 150 mature sal trees, many over a hundred years old. The Forest Department supplies this wood to the Bastar Dussehra Committee." "We have been demanding compensatory plantations for years. It shouldn't just continue in the name of tradition by planting few samplings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sal trees take a several years to mature, he added. Jagdalpur chief conservator of forest R C Dugga told TOI that the number of trees to be felled depends on the size of logs required and usually they are less in numbers as claimed. By and large 80 huge logs are required for the chariot in Bastar Dussehra, he said. "Since the concern of annual felling of sal trees was considerable, our forest department team with local villagers and Dussehra committee jointly decided to plant saplings every year. There's a village called Nakti Semra near Jagdalpur, where the panchayat has provided an empty land and with own arrangements, we availed 250-300 saplings for plantation along with basic resources," CCF said. He added that the Bastar Dussehra committee representatives including 'manjhi, chalki' rank people who come from different villages, participate in plantation drive. We provide fencing and protection, he said, adding that to ensure proper care and maintenance, a formal initiative can be taken ahead. However, Kashyap urged for sal-specific replantation, stating that a mix of tree species is being planted instead. Moreover, while the best time for plantation is the monsoon, saplings are usually planted post-festival by tribal priests and traditional functionaries, often at the same spots where trees were felled, such as Markel, about 20 kms from Jagdalpur and Semra villages. Environmentalists emphasized that the chariot is crafted entirely through traditional methods — cut, carved, and shaped by hand without any machinery. This results in significant wood waste, which is later sold off or auctioned. Officials said that adequate funds can be allocated for structured ecological compensation for plantation.
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