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NDTV
3 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
After Priest's 20-Year Search, Sukhoi Tires To Be Used On Jagannath Chariot
Kolkata: Lord Jagannath's chariot will have a spring in its steps this summer when it rolls out on Kolkata streets for the Rath Yatra on June 27. After a 20-year search, the Rath Yatra's organiser, ISKCON Kolkata, has found new tires for the massive chariot. The old tires, sourced from a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, have been replaced by tires used on Sukhoi fighter planes and manufactured by MRF. Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesperson for ISCKON Kolkata, shared the fascinating story of finding the best fit for the Lord's chariot. The Rath Yatra in Kolkata started in 1972 with a small chariot housing the three deities taken out through the city's streets. Five years later, a member of ISCKON donated three new chariots for Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Lord Jagannath's chariot was fitted with second-hand tires from a Boeing Jet. Over the years, the tires suffered wear and tear and were repaired before every Rath Yatra. In 2005, however, Mr Das noticed they needed to be changed. This started his 20-year search for new tires for the Lord's chariot. A key challenge for arranging the tires was to assess the weight they would need to 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," he said. "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," Mr Das told NDTV. He shared how MRF authorities were surprised when ISKCON Kolkata first told them their requirement. "We were told that the only other client for these tires is the Indian Air Force," Mr Das quipped. MRF assured them that their tires have an adequate weight-bearing capacity. The four tires cost a total of Rs 1.80 lakh. After the tires were delivered and fitted, a 24-km dry run was organised, and all was found to be well.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who is 'thief of Doha', the original owner of $400M jet to be gifted to Donald Trump?
Trump $400 million Qatar was originally commissioned by Qatar's former PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Amid a major row over President Donald Trump possibly getting a $400 million Boeing Jet from Qatar as a gift, it has now been revealed that the Qatari jet has been sitting unsold for years since 2020 and Qatar now wants to dump it. The aircraft originally belonged to former prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani , also known as HBJ . These initials are still there in the jet's tail number. The sheikh has been embroiled in a $20 million legal dispute over a string of luxury hotels, the New York Post reported. The former PM has been branded as the 'thief of Doha' by a Washington think tank after the DOJ accused him of presiding over bribery and corruption when he brought 2022 World Cup to Qatar. HBJ has a lot of controversies and lawsuits apart from the corruption allegations. He made an antisemitic tirade in an interview last year as he said, "Imagine oil was sold by some Jews … what would be the price of a barrel oil? It would be the most expensive thing in the world,' HBJ served as Prime Minister from April 3, 2007, to June 26, 2013, during the reign of Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. He stepped down as Prime Minister on June 26, 2013, one day after Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani abdicated in favor of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Before that, HBJ was Qatar's Foreign Minister for over two decades, from 1992 to 2013 Trump's Qatar visit is the second destination of his Gulf tour, after a first stop in Riyadh, where he made a surprise announcement lifting sanctions on Syria and met the country's president. Qatar Airways had placed a "record" order for 160 planes from Boeing, its largest ever order for its wide-body jets.
Russia Today
15-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Qatar defends gift of jet to US
Qatar has dismissed criticism over its proposed gift of a luxury Boeing jet to the US, insisting the move is a straightforward government transaction. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani suggested the offer was part of normal diplomatic relations and not a personal favor. The $400 million Boeing 747-8 would be handed to the Department of Defense and replace Air Force One, while the US government awaits a delivery of new presidential jets from Boeing; the order has been set back years by the troubled plane maker. Some Democratic lawmakers, however, have accused US President Donald Trump of using the presidency for personal gain. 'This is a very clear exchange that's happening between two governments… It has nothing to do with personnel,' Al-Thani has told CNN. 'I don't see any controversy.' Al-Thani also refuted concerns voiced by some Republicans that Qatar may seek to influence the US administration. 'Qatar has always been there for the US when it's needed,' he said, pointing to counterterrorism collaboration between the two states. Qatari help with evacuation during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and mediated hostage releases involving US citizens in Gaza. Trump argued that the jet is a 'gift from a Nation' to the US government, not to him personally. 'Only a FOOL would not accept this,' he claimed. The White House's current fleet of Boeing 747-200 jets, which have been in service since the early 1990s, has faced ongoing technical issues. A contract for two new Air Force One planes based on the 747-8 has been plagued by delays and rising costs, pushing delivery from the original 2024 target to as late as 2027 or 2028. Al-Thani's comments came as Trump visited Qatar on Wednesday and Thursday as part of his tour of the Middle East. During the visit, the White House announced an economic exchange agreement between the two countries worth $1.2 trillion, which included a 'historic' Boeing deal for up to 210 jets. The gifting of the jet was expected to be confirmed during Trump's visit to Doha. However, the President has departed, and no official announcement has been made so far.
