JAGATSINGHPUR:A day after the Daru for Lord Jagannath was felled in Kharipadia village under Raghunathpur block of the district, Biswakarmas of the Banajaga Yatra team started ‘Chaupata’ (sizing the log) on Sunday. Construction of Sagadi - cart made of banyan, Tendu and tamarind wood - also started.
The holy tree fell to the ground at 8.14 pm on Saturday amid chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Hari Bol’. The Daitapatis then collected the log and Biswakarmas on Sunday morning began trimming it into a specific dimension for carving the idol. The remains of the holy tree will be buried in a large ditch dug in the vicinity.
The Chaupata work and construction of Sagadi would take another two days. The trunk of the felled tree, covered with silk cloth, will leave Kharipadia for Puri by May 14. It will be carried in the Sagadi that would be pulled by Daitapatis and devotees using special ropes.
Dalapati of Banajaga Yatra team, Haldar Dasmohapatra said a total of 90 members had come to Jagatsinghpur district for performing the Daru rituals of the Trinity. As many as 37 of them have already left for Puri with the Daru for Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra and 53 others are in Kharipadia for taking the Daru of Lord Jagannath.
Collector Satya Kumar Mallick, who is overseeing the rituals in the village, said all arrangements are being put in place for transportation of the Daru to Puri from Kharipadia. “A route map has been finalised for transporting the Daru in a smooth manner,” he said.