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Raths fit for the Lords: the hands that shape Puri’s chariots

As the Rath Yatra in Puri starts on June 20, over 150 labourers, carpenters, artists, painters, etc., have been working for two months to complete these chariots. Nearly 15 lakh devotees from across the globe are expected to arrive for the annual event

The chariots — Taladhwaja for Lord Balabhadra, Darpadalan for Goddess Subhadra and Nandighosa for Lord Jagannath — each have their own colours, height, diameter, wooden horses, guardian deities and even charioteers. The raths, which are over 40 feet tall and have at least 12 wheels each, are made from wood of local trees like fasi, dhaura, simili and asana. The wood is obtained from the Nayagarh forest each year. (Photo: Shree Jagannath Temple Administration)

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Surya Prakash Mahapatra wields a wooden hammer and chisel on a log with the confidence of a master carver. Dressed in a red T-shirt and black shorts, the 11-year-old sweats as he carves along the chalk outlines of flowers and animals on the log under the watchful eye of two experienced rupakar servitors (woodcarvers). The class 7 student has been learning woodcarving since he was just 5.

Surya’s “school” is located in the Ratha Khala, barely 500 metres from the 12th century Jagannath Temple in Puri, where three breathtaking chariots used in Puri’s annual Rath Yatra are cut, carved, chiselled, painted, polished and assembled each year — all manually — and his teachers are his father and grandfather.

Tuesday’s yatra expects to see the arrival of nearly 15 lakh devotees from across the globe. Over 150 pairs of hands belonging to labourers, carpenters, artists, painters, etc., worked in tandem to shape over 800 logs into three magnificent chariots by working for 12 hours a day from Akshaya Tritiya onwards, nearly two months before the much-awaited event.

Surya Prakash Mahapatra, 11, has been training as a rupakar servitor at the Ratha Khala, 500 metres from the 12th century Jagannath Temple in Puri, under the guidance of his father and grandfather since he was just 5-year-old. Besides engraving figures of birds, animals and flowers, rupakar servitors also carve figures of parsva debata (guardian deities) on logs. (Photos: Sujit Bisoyi and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration)

The yatra, which takes place on the second day of the Odia month of Ashadh Shukla Tithi, sees sibling deities — Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath — embark on a 3-km journey to their ‘aunt’s’ residence at the Gundicha Temple in three gigantic chariots pulled by devotees with the help of 250-feet long ropes made using coconut fibres. The Bahuda Yatra, which marks their return home, will be celebrated with the same fervour on June 28.

The Taladhwaja Rath for Lord Balabhadra, the Darpadalan Rath for Goddess Subhadra and the Nandighosa Rath for Lord Jagannath each have their own colours, height, diameter, wooden horses, guardian deities and even charioteers. Grand engineering marvels, these raths are over 40 feet tall and have at least 12 wheels each. They are made from wood of local trees like fasi, dhaura, simili and asana. The wood is obtained from the Nayagarh forest each year.

These talented rupakar servitors, who don’t have any formal education in woodcarving or use modern machinery or equipment, rely on the wisdom passed down by their ancestors for this “hereditary service”. Ramesh Mahapatra, whose brother Bijay Mohapatra is the biswakarma (chief carpenter) of the Nandighosa Rath, said, “We don’t use measuring tapes or units like feet and inches. Instead, we use units like haat (hand size), anguli (finger size) and a stick as units of measurements. One stick equals one haat and 25 angulis equal one haat.”

Instead of using measuring tapes or units like feet and inches, the chariot makers use units like haat (hand size), anguli (finger size) and a stick as units of measurements. One stick equals one haat and 25 angulis equal one haat. These talented servitors, who don’t have formal education in woodcarving or use modern machinery or equipment, rely on the training received from their ancestors. (Photo: Sujit Bisoyi)

The conversation is cut short due to confusion over the size of a log. Intervening swiftly, Ramesh uses the stick passed down to him by his father to resolve the matter.

“Chariot construction work usually starts when Odisha schools go on summer vacation or have morning school (from 7-11 am due to the heat). Just like I started learning from my elders 40 years ago, I wanted my son to learn wood carving too. So I made sure he started young,” Panchanan Mahapatra, Surya’s 46-year-old father, told The Indian Express.

Stating that he hopes Surya relocates to other cities for higher studies, better jobs and higher income, Panchanan added, “We consider this work a service to Lord Jagannath. It is a legacy from our ancestors and we want our children to continue this tradition.”

Besides birds, animals and flowers, rupakar servitors also carve parsva debatas (guardian deities), which are affixed on the chariots. The maharanas (carpenters), bhois (labourers), karatias (wood cutters), chitrakars (painters), kamaras (ironsmith) and others also play an important role in preparing for the yatra. The bhoi sevayats play a critical role in the entire process, from the supply of labourers for the construction of the chariots to carrying large logs to the Ratha Khala. The bhoi sevayats also help apply brakes on the chariots on the day of the yatra. As the chariots near completion, the bhoi sevayats carry the wooden horses and other sculptures that are fixed on the chariots.

Alok Bhoi, a 21-year-old graduate who has been helping his father at the Ratha Khala since the past decade as a bhoi sevayat, said, “I want to go outside Puri for my career, but this work is sacred for me. I want to continue doing it.”

After the chariots are assembled, around 20 chitrakar sevayats (artists) work extra hours for two weeks before the yatra to paint the statues of the guardian deities that are fixed on each of the three chariots. (Photos: Sujit Bisoyi and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration)

Balakrushna Maharana, a 46-year-old maharana sevayat who supervises the construction of the Taladhwaja Rath, said he feels privileged to be a part of the process. “I have seen three generations of my family engaged in this service. I encourage my son, who is in class 7, to learn these techniques too,” said Balakrushna, who works as a carpenter and a Patachitra painter after the yatra.

Once the chariots are assembled, around 20 chitrakar sevayats (artists) work extra hours for two weeks before the yatra to paint the statues of the guardian deities affixed on each chariot.

Though many servitors said they don’t do this service for the money, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) pays remuneration ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 1,200 per day. The total budget for the 2022-23 yatra was Rs 14.76 crore, while the budget for 2023-24 is estimated to be Rs 16.62 crore. The budget includes the cost of chariot construction, security, ceremonies, temple beautification, etc. The logs are not included in the total budget since they are supplied by the state government .

Tuesday’s yatra expects to see the arrival of nearly 15 lakh devotees from across the globe.

A temple official said, “The erstwhile kings of Puri (the Gajapatis who are known as the first servitors) supervised the construction of the chariots and the supply of wood till 1954. With the implementation of the Jagannath Temple Act in 1954, the state forest and environment departments started supplying wood from the forests in Nayagarh district, which was a part of the undivided Puri district.”

On the day of the yatra, Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb arrives in a palanquin from his palace, which is 500 metres from the temple, in a ceremonial procession. He conducts the chhera panhara rituals, as part of which he sweeps the floor of the chariot with a golden broom.