Music of Hammering and Sawing from Ratha Khala Continues

Puri: Everything is not the same this year. We are locked inside our homes and waiting for the unknown disease to subside so that life will be normal again. Amidst the prevailing silence we can hear the soothing sounds of the hammering and sawing from the Ratha Khala near Lord Jagannath Temple. Traditional Sevakas and Maharanas are busy in preparing the chariots of the forthcoming world famous Ratha Yatra.

The chariot making work of the three deities, which began on Akhsaya Tritiya day has been progressing well and the 200 odd workers of the temple are busy giving shape to the giant vehicles. Strictly adhering to the social distancing norms, the Maharana, Bhoi, Rupakara and Kamara Sebakas are leaving no stone unturned to complete the work on time.

The work which started a bit late due to the lockdown restrictions, is presently on time and the Sevakas are giving extra efforts to catch up with the schedule. While the 42 wheels of the three Chariots have been completed, 21 axles are ready to be fitted.

The wheels of the Ratha will be affixed to the axles on the last day of Chandan Yatra. But this year there may not be any devotees present as the lockdown is continuing and the thrust is on maintaining social distance.

The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration and the District Administration have been providing all the support to the Sevakas. The disciplined management of the Ratha making has helped maintain the schedule and they are expected to be ready on time.

The Temple administration made provisions for the swab testing of the Sebakas and their health check up has been done to ensure that they don’t face any problems.

If everything goes well and the lockdown norms are eased, the world famous Ratha Yatra will be held as usual but with proper safety restrictions to avoid any spread of the Corona virus.