The
three chariots are built anew anually excluding the Kalasa,14 subsidiary
deities,chariots and horses.1072 pieces of logs are brought from Dasapalla and Ranpur forests. Nearly 125 temple
carpenters(including helping assistants) work for 58 days at the Mahakhala (in
front of the palace) and chisel out 2,188 pieces of wood for the construction
of three chariots.The construction work commences on the Akshya Trutiya.Each
chariot is covered with new cloths of radiant colour.Orissa Textile Mills
provides nearly 1,090 meters of cloth for this purpose.The chariots are
fastened with four long sturdy ropes (each 240'-250' with b" diametre) each so
as to facilitate the devotees to pull them. The kerala Coir Corporation
provides these specially manufactured coconut fibre ropes.Iron
nails,brackets,clamps, etc. used for this purpose are indigenously prepared by
the native smiths near the Dolavedi and it takes them more than a month.The
Ratha's superstructure (above the wheels) contains eighteen pillars and roofs
at various stages which are known as bhuin,potala,parabhadi, etc.These are 34
components of the chariot.Each chariot contains nine Parswadevatas (subsidiary
deities),two dwarapalas (door keepers),one Sarathi (charioteer) and one
presiding deity of the crest banner (dhwaja devata), all made of wood.
