KENDRAPARA: The 64-feet-high State’s second tallest wooden chariot of Baladevjew temple at Kendrapara town known as Tulasi Khetra is all set for the colourful journey on Thursday on the occasion of annual Rath Yatra.
The chariot of Keonjhar at 72 feet is taller than the Nandighosh of Lord Jagannath in Puri which stands at 45.6 feet. In grandeur and popularity, the Rath Yatra of Tulasi Khetra stands next to the famous Car Festival of Shree Khetra in Puri.
Around 40 temple carpenters took a month to complete the chariot construction works. All 14 wheels of the chariot have been constructed with new timber. “We used some old timber to construct the body of the chariot due to non-availability of wood from the forest department,” said Executive Officer of the temple Balabhadra Patri.
“As a part of the basic preparations for the festival, we have already repaired the road through which the procession will pass and removed unwanted obstacles from the two-km stretch which will be used for rolling of the wooden chariot from Baladevjew shrine to Mausima temple,” said Sanjay Mishra, Kendrapara Sub-Collector.
The temple was built by the King of Kujang, Raja Gopal Sandha, during the Maratha rule in Odisha in 1761 at Ichhapur here.