Kendrapada: Authorities of Baladevjew Temple at Ichapur, popularly known as Tulasi Khetra in Kendrapada district, have sought assistance of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar experts to ensure the smooth construction and journey of the 67-foot-long chariot. Construction of the massive 14-wheel chariot, Bramahataladhwaja, is underway under guidance of engineers and professors from the School of Mechanical Sciences of IIT Bhubaneswar. The move comes after last year’s Rath Yatra witnessed a major setback when four wheels of the chariot were damaged, causing it to bend while being pulled by devotees.Temple executive officer Balabhadra Patri said lessons from last year’s incident prompted the temple administration to seek technical guidance from IIT experts. “This year, we are taking all precautions by building 10 new wheels and repairing four old ones to avoid any mishap during the festival,” he said. A team of IIT Bhubaneswar engineers visited the temple recently and inspected the ongoing work. Dr Manas Ranjan Pattnayak, assistant professor at the institute, advised the carpenters to use only new timber for construction, noting that unlike the chariots at Jagannath Temple in Puri, which are built entirely with fresh wood every year, the Baladevjew Temple still relies partly on old timber due to resource constraints.The IIT team also pointed out issues with the 2-km stretch between the temple and the Mausima Temple, saying the road’s uneven curves could hamper the smooth movement of the chariot. They urged temple authorities to carry out necessary repairs at the earliest.Of the 14 wheels, 10 are being newly constructed while four old wheels are being repaired due to shortage of quality timber. Around 45 carpenters have been engaged in the construction work since May 1, with temple authorities expressing confidence that the work will be completed well before the festival.Patri said around 2,700 cubic feet of sal and other wood have been procured from the forest department and other sources for the construction of what is considered Odisha’s second-largest wooden chariot after the Chariot of Keonjhar, though we need 4,000 cubic feet of good quality timber to build the chariot. “Due to non-availability of new wood, we are compelled to use the old timber of last year’s chariot to build some portions of the Rath,” said Patri.“The present Baladevjew temple was built by the king of Kujang, Raja Gopal Sandha, during the Maratha rule in Odisha in 1761 at Ichapur locality within Kendrapada town. It is believed that the century-year-old Juma mosque at the Old Bus Stand in Kendrapada town was built by the Mughal rulers after demolishing the Baladevjew temple at the same site during the Mogul period in 1661 as the temple authority refused to pay obnoxious ‘Jijiya’ tax to the Mogul ruler. This temple remains one of the most revered shrines in the region, drawing thousands of devotees every year during the annual car festival,” said Dr Basudev Das, a researcher of Kendrapada.
Attachment
Attachment
Attachment
