Puri, June 25 -- The construction of the three sacred chariots for Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra, and their sister Devi Subhadra, presiding deities of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, is a meticulously planned and spiritually significant process.
Work on the chariots, or Rathas, began on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya and was scheduled for completion within 50-55 days, typically a day before the commencement of the Rath Yatra festival, which is set to begin on June 27.
The construction formally began when temple priests handed over the Ajnamallyas (divine orders) from Lord Jagannath to the Biswakarmas (chief carpenters) in a sacred ceremony.
As part of the tradition, the temple administration also prese...