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| The three chariots, Jagannath temple, Puri. hegr8wall.wordpress.com |
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| The three chariots of Jagannath temple puri. with different colored canopyodiaportal.in. |
Among the Hindu temples of India that celebrate the annual chariot festival, the most popular one is that of the Rathyatra of Jagannath temple, Puri, Odisha. It is the oldest Ratha Yatra taking place in India and the World, whose descriptions can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita. Lord Jagannath, it is said, attracts the largest crowd of devotees during the festival time. Involved in this grand spectacular event are the three colorful chariots that carry the idol of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannatha. A note-worthy feature, unlike most Hindu temple is the chariots are constructed afresh every year. So are the chariot wheels. For this purpose, specified wood is used taken from select trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. The logs of wood should be from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla and the custom still continues today. The wood is chosen by a team of skilled and knowledgeable carpenters who enjoy hereditary rights and privilege for this particular purpose. It is also mentioned that the logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi and are collected near Puri. From here they reach the destination by truck through the road.
The builders of Jagannath chariots meticulously follow a traditional scheme of decoration and construction that has been vogue for centuries. The huge chariots covered with bright canopies made of stripes of red cloth combined with those of black, yellow and blue colours, and are parked on the Bada Danda - the Grand Avenue right in front of the majestic temple close to its eastern entrance, also known as the Sinhadwara or the Lion’s Gate. The three chariots at distance may look alike, but if you take a close look at them, you can see the discernible difference among them. The canopies over the chariots cover approximately 1,250 meters of intricately embroidered green, black, yellow, and red cloth. This work on the chariots is done by a team of tailors who make cushions for the gods to rest on as well.
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| Jagannath temple Puri, Odisha. .bhubaneswarbuzz.com |
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| Puri Jagannath Chariot. wheels alamy.com |
The Chariot of Subhadra, often referred to as Darpadalana is
forty-three feet high with twelve wheels, each of them with seven feet diameters. This Chariot is red and black cloth, black on
the canopy implying that the goddess is traditionally regarded
as personification of Shakti and the Mother goddess. These
chariots have three charioteers Matali, Daruka and Arjuna representing Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra respectively
The details are as follows:
The rathyatra, a grand procession, includes only three chariots. This year it commences on 4 July and Bahda Jatra (return of rathas) is on 13 July. The three rathas will be at Gudicha temple, which is about 2 km from the main temple for 9 days where daily (nithya) pujas will be done to the deities.
Nandighosha:eNandighoshaight45 feet, six inches.Nandighosha
Number and Height of Wheels: 16 wheels measuring six feet in diameter.
Chariot Colors: Yellow and red. (Lord Jagannath is associated with Lord Krishna, also known as Pitambara, "the one draped in golden yellow robes").
Horse Color: White.
Charioteer: Daruka.
Lord Balabhadra:
Chariot Name: Taladhwaja -- meaning "one with the palm tree on its flag".
Chariot Height: 45 feet.
Number and Height of Wheels: 14 wheels measuring six feet six inches in diameter.
Chariot Colors: Green and red.
Horse Color: Black.
Charioteer: Matali.
Devi Subhadra:
Chariot Name: Debadalana -- meaning literally, "trampler of pride".
Chariot Height: 44 feet, six inches.
Number and Height of Wheels: 12 wheels, measuring six feet eight inches in diameter.
Chariot Colors: Black and red. (Black is traditionally associated with female energy shakti and the Mother Goddess).
Horse Color: Red.
Charioteer: Arjuna.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/making-of-the-puri-rath-yatra-chariots-1539264
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagannath_Temple,_Puri
