KENDRAPARA: Hundreds of devotees pulling the Bramhataladhawaja of the Baladevjew temple were in for a disappointment after around five wheels of the 64-feet-long chariot suffered partial damage during Bahuda Yatra on Sunday.
Sources said devotees could pull the chariot moved only a few meters from the Mausima temple as the wheels developed cracks and the repairs took an entire day. The chariot had earlier taken four days to reach the Mausima temple due to defective wheels. After its arrival on July 4, a team of carpenters reportedly repaired the damaged wheels.
But during the return journey of the chariot, many of the wheels again developed cracks. Pravat Suar, a priest of the temple, shared that many people had criticised the temple management committee for the three-day delay of the chariot in reaching the Mausima temple which is only two km away. Following the backlash, the officials concerned had promised to fix all the damages but failed. Gopal Ballav Dash, another priest, reasoned that the wheels developed cracks as temple authorities used old timber. This delay, according to him, was a first and he hoped the chariot will reach the temple on Monday.
Contacted, executive officer of the temple management committee Balabhadra Patri said, “The inexperienced driver was responsible for the cracks of the wheels as he moved the chariot in a wrong direction. We used new timber to build all the 16 wheels of the chariot.” 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 Kendrapara town.