Latest news with #IskconKolkata
Time of India
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
24km Rajarhat road test for Jagannath rath's Sukhoi tyres
1 2 3 Kolkata: The chariot used to carry Lord Jagannath during the Rath Yatra in Kolkata did a 24 km dry run on Saturday night, hours after its ageing Jumbo jet wheels of 1978 vintage were replaced with mint-fresh wheels used in Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets in the Indian Air Force. The four tyres cost Rs 1.8 lakh. "The chariot was hauled by a tow truck from its garage in Rajarhat to the Gurusaday Road. The journey was smooth. We expect the 7-km journey on the day of Rath Yatra and the return journey on Ulta Rath to be glitch-free," said Iskcon Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das. This will be Iskcon Kolkata's 54th Rath Yatra. While the rath travelled at 8 kmph on Saturday, it usually crawls at 1.4 kmph during the Rath Yatra. The tyres are capable of doing 280 kmph, the speed of the take-off run on the tarmac before the Sukhoi jets become airborne. Officials of MRF Tyres, manufacturers of the tubeless tyres for the fighter jet, were taken aback when Iskcon first approached them for the Sukhoi tyres that appeared to be the closest fit to the Dunlop tyres for Boeing B-747 aircraft that were fitted when American engineer Garry William Roberts designed Iskcon Kolkata's chariot in 1977. "The only customers that the company had for these tyres was the Indian Air Force. They were so shocked when we requested to buy the four tyres that they sent their officials to look at the rath. They confirmed that the 4-ft diameter Sukhoi tyres are the closest match to the jumbo jet tyres that were in use. Iskcon is now the second customer for these tyres," said Das. Each Sukhoi tyre is capable of taking a load of 13 tonnes. Together, the four tyres can carry 52 tonnes. While the Sukhoi aircraft weighs 18.4 tonnes, the maximum weight of Jagannath's chariot along with the deity, priests, and disciples riding it will be 16 tonnes. The search for the tyres began two decades ago in 2005. Though Iskcon zeroed in on the Sukhoi tyres around 2018, the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the urgent replacement required in the iron wheels of Balaram's rath caused the delay.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Lord Jagannath's Kolkata chariot to glide on Sukhoi tyres
KOLKATA: Lord Jagannath's chariot at Iskcon Rath Yatra in Kolkata this year will roll at a gentle pace of 1.4kmph on brand new tyres designed for a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet whose take-off run reaches a speed of 280kmph. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The new tyres were necessitated after the chariot encountered a steering snag last year. Acquisition of the Sukhoi tyres marks the culmination of a nearly two-decade quest for fresh tyres for the chariot. The ageing tyres, in use for over half a century, were from a Boeing B-747. Sourcing the "jumbo jet" tyres became a challenge after the aircraft was phased out. The Sukhoi's 4-ft diameter tyres were found to be the closest match to the jumbo jet tyres, which had the same 4-ft diameter and weighed 110kg each. While the B-747 tyres were manufactured by Dunlop, the Sukhoi tyres are manufactured by MRF, which supplies main wheel and nose wheel tyres for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets in India. These tyres undergo rigorous testing, including ground speed tests and load-capacity assessments. "When I contacted MRF requesting Sukhoi tyres for the chariot, they didn't believe us at first," said Radharamn Das, vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata. "They even sent senior officials to Kolkata to inspect the chariots. When they saw that the chariots were running on Boeing 747 jumbo jet tyres for the past 48 years and we explained that Sukhoi tyres were the closest match in size and durability, they agreed to sell them to us. " The new Sukhoi tyres will improve the chariot's manoeuvrability, safety and overall stability, especially on Kolkata's roads, many of which have tram tracks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They will also reduce strain of pulling on devotees and minimise the chances of technical failures during the Yatra starting June 27. The tyre-replacement work is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the second week of June, just ahead of Rath Yatra. The key challenge has been to ensure that the new wheels are safely and properly fitted without altering the traditional structure. "Minor structural modifications were needed, including adjustments to the wheel drums, base frame, and axle fittings to fit the Sukhoi tyres. However, the traditional wooden and iron superstructure of the chariot remains fully preserved," said Iskcon's Das. The chariot on which Lord Balaram or Baladev rides already sports new iron wheels.
