Lord Jagannath's chariot to roll on Sukhoi jet tires on Kolkata streets: Report
This year, Lord Jagannath's chariot will roll on Sukhoi fighter jet tires on the streets of Kolkata, reported NDTV.
The Rath Yatra, to be held on June 27, will be organised by ISCKON Kolkata.
The organizer arrived at a decision to run the massive chariot on Sukhoi tires after a search for around 20 years.
'The old tires, sourced from a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, have been replaced by tires used on Sukhoi fighter planes and manufactured by MRF,' said the NDTV report.
But it was a challenge for the organizer to arrange the tires as they had to assess the charriot's weight they could bear.
"Finding a weighing scale for a massive chariot was a huge task. We eventually managed to weigh it and it came to about nine tonnes. Factoring in the weight of devotees on the chariot during the Yatra, we realised that the tires would need to support a weight of about 16 tonnes," Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesperson for ISCKON Kolkata, told NDTV.
"We first spoke to Dunlop, but they had stopped manufacturing these tires. After extensive research, we found Sukhoi tires to be the best match. We first tried to contact MRF in 2018, but could not get through. Eventually, they got back six years later. In December 2024, they sent a team, we worked out a price and they delivered the tires a month back," Das added.
He further said that MRF officials were surprised when ISKCON told them about the requirement. "We were told that the only other client for these tires is the Indian Air Force."
The four tires supplied by MRF came at a cost of ₹ 1.80 lakh.
After the tires were fitted to the chariot, a 24-km long dry run was performed for a trial.
The Rath Yatra in Kolkata was started in 1972 with a small chariot.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
India.com
a day 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.
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Elon Musk's father Errol advises him to 'get some rest', 'visit India'; here's why
Describing Elon Musk, the Tesla founder and chief of social media platform X, as 'an energetic person', his father, Errol Musk, advised his son to 'get some rest', reported NDTV. According to the report, on being asked to give advice to his son, Errol Musk laughed a bit and said that though his son is 53, he is like someone in his early 30s. "Get some rest. Keep it up if you can. I do say to him, when I speak to him, 'try and take a break'," Musk Sr said while speaking with NDTV. "He is 53. People at 53 say, 'Oh, we are too old'. But he is like someone in his early 30s." Not only did Musk Sr. advise his son to take some rest, but he also stated that the latter should travel to India. Elon Musk was slated to visit India in April, but had put the plans on hold, citing pressing issues at Tesla. "I am quite surprised he has not been to India. If he does not, he is making a big mistake..." Musk's father said. Among other advice Errol Musk had for his son Elon was to focus on Neuralink, a transhumanist neurotechnology company which he had founded. As per details, Neuralink develops implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to connect the human brain with computers. It enhances cognitive abilities and treat neurological disorders. "The company amazes me. They are talking about rejoining spinal cords... enabling the blind to see... restoring hearing to people. It is not 'way in the future'. It is soon. They are being made... they already have brain implants that quadriplegics can operate computers," Errol Musk said. Though on hold, it is expected that whenever Elon Musk visits India, he might include talks on investment, with Tesla and Starlink as the centrepoints of discussion. On the contrary, Musk's relationship with Indian regulatory authorities remains complicated, as the government's stake in content moderation with X is debated.
Time of India
a day 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."
