Latest news with #Sukhoi
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Lord Jagannath becomes MRF's second client for Sukhoi tyres after IAF
On the night May 31, the chariot of Lord Jagannath rolled on the streets of Kolkata with tyres of Sukhoi fighter jets. The 24 km dry run was to ascertain whether the four tyres that are fixed to usually Sukhoi fighter jets were fitted properly to the wooden chariot of the Lord Jagannath. ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Kolkata, which has been organising annual Rath Yatra for the past five decades have been looking to replace the Boeing tyres fitted to the chariot of Lord Jagnnath for the past few years. Radharaman Das, the Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata said that when he approached the tyre maker MRF they were shocked at the request of Sukhoi aircraft tyres for chariot of Lord Jagannath. 'For the last 48 years the chariot of Lord Jagnnath has been working on Boeing tyres, for the last 20 years we have been looking for a replacement. MRF finally called us in December 2024, they were also shocked because they only have only one client the Indian Air Force,' Mr. Das told The Hindu. The ageing tyres of Boeing -747 had been serving the chariot for over 50 years but last year the organisers of the Rath Yatra faced significant challenges including axel issues. 'In 1972 we started the first Kolkata Rath Yatra. In 1977 an American disciple got this new chariot made for Lord Jagannath. He used Boeing second hand tyres from Kolkata Airport to make the chariot,' he said. The Boeing tyres were manufactured by Kolkata based tyres makers Dunlop, But since Dunlop suspended its operation a long time ago, finding aircraft tyres was a challenge to ISKCON. The Sukhoi's 4-ft diameter tyres were found to be the closest to the jumbo jet tyres which were of the same diameter. Mr. Das said that MRF sent a team comprising a general manager to verify their claims and needs for new Sukhoi tyres. 'MRF sent a team of their general manager and others to see that we have the Boeing jumbo jet tyres in our chariot. Then they sent a report and MRF finally agreed to sell four tyres,' the ISKCON representative said. The four tyres, each of which can withstand a load of 16 tonnes have come at a cost of Rs 1.72 lakh The installation of Sukhoi tyres took about 20 to 25 days, which required minor structural changes keeping the traditional wooden and iron structures intact and a dry run was held on Saturday night. Mr. Das said that the chariots of other deities including Lord Balaram chariot has got new iron wheels for the chariot. On July 27, 2025 when thousands of devotees will participate in the annual Rath Yatra of ISKCON in Kolkata, and pull the ropes of chariot of Lord Jagannath, it will gently roll the tyres of Sukhoi jets which are meant to pierce the skies at supersonic speed.
Mint
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- Mint
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.
Time of India
19 hours 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.
NDTV
21 hours 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.
India Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Jugaad on wheels: Sukhoi jet tyres power Lord Jagannath's chariot in Kolkata
In a prime example of Indian 'jugaad' culture on display, Lord Jagannath's chariot in Kolkata is set to get a new pair of wheels after 48 years -- a brand-new set of tyres from Russia's Sukhoi fighter jet, which has a take-off run speed of up to 280 a familiar word in India, translates to making do with what you have. After encountering steering issues last year, the organiser ISKCON sprang into action to get new wheels for the deity's chariot, which it has been seeking for the past 15 Boeing tyres -- ones being used to power to chariots for so long -- have become difficult to procure, the organisers approached Sukhoi instead, as their diameter closely matches that of the Boeing tyres. ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das admitted that their demand for new wheels took the company that manufactures tyres for Sukhoi fighter jets by asked for a quotation, the manufacturer wondered why anyone would request Sukhoi tyres and for what purpose. After explaining their need, ISCKON invited the manufacturers to come and inspect the chariot. Only then were they able to secure four Sukhoi tyres for the the tyres are being installed as Kolkata will witness Lord Jagannath's chariot wheels powered by tyres made for Sukhoi fighter to some reports, the chariot will move slowly and ceremoniously at a speed of 1.4 kmph.
