9. New Carts

9. New Carts:

In Puri, as per the age old tradition, every year new carts are constructed for the Ratha-yäträ festival of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. Using the same simple tools and techniques passed down for hundreds of years, local carpenters begin construction of the new carts on the day of aksaya trtiya- the third day of the bright fortnight of the month of Vaisakha (April- May), 2 months in advance of the Ratha-yatra. 

More than 400 cubic meters of wood is required for the construction of the carts-in excess of 600 trees mostly taken from only particular species known as dhaura (Anogeisus latifolia), asana (Terminalia tomentosa), phasi (Anogeisus acuminata), and simili (Bombax ceiba). These species are naturally found only along the banks of Mahanadi river.

Supplying the wood for the chariots was traditionally the job of the King of Puri. Vast tracts of land in the jungle areas along the banks of  Mahanadi in central Orissa were pledged for the service of Lord Jagannatha, and the King of Puri and the other feudal kings were the custodians.

The Gajapati Maharaja would send his men each year to collect the required number of logs. As there were no developed roads during this time, the only means of transporting the logs to Puri was by floating them down the Mahanadi, which could only be done when there was sufficient water in the river during the rainy season, nearly one full year in advance of the Chariot Festival. After the rainy season, the logs would cure by sitting in the hot Orissan sun and would be ready for carving by the next April. 

Even when the British extended their rule to Orissa at the beginning of the 19th Century, although the King was stripped of most of his authority he was still considered to be the custodian of the sacred forests of Lord Jagannatha, and it remained his duty to supply the wood each year. After Indian Independence in 1947, this duty came to the Government of Orissa.

After the Ratha-yatra festival, the carts are disassembled and the wood is used for fuel in Lord Jagannatha's enormous kitchen. This wood is sufficient to supply the kitchen's needs for about 9 months of the year.

Deforestation is Threatening Ratha Yatra:

Due to extensive deforestation in the Orissan jungles, in a few years there may no longer be a sufficient supply of the phasi trees as specified in the ancient codes for building the Ratha-Yatra Chariots. Phasi wood is very strong and straight, and the leaves make excellent cattle fodder. So, with the regular harvesting each year for Ratha-Yatra, and steady depletion due to poaching, the naturally occurring population of the species is nearly gone. Historically, the Orissan government has not emphasized phasi wood in its reforestation efforts due to the tree's slow-growing nature. 

Faced with the possibility that in a few short years there would no longer be sufficient supply of phasi wood for construction of the chariots, some officials have even suggested that the ancient temple codes be revised.

In 1994, this fact came to the attention of the devotees of ISKCON Bhubaneswar who were planning the Centennial Celebration of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. They decided to make a phasi tree plantation for the pleasure of Lord Jagannatha as one of their Centennial offerings. The Government of Orissa consented to this plan, and in December, 1995, 150 acres (65 hectares) of the traditional jungle of Lord Jagannatha was allocated for this work. Now 70,000 young phasi trees are growing in the Orissan jungle, under the supervision of Lord Jagannatha's devotees.

The Sri Jagannath Forest Project, as it is called, has caught the attention of environmentalists. Alliance of Religion and Conservation (ARC), based in London, has given an initial grant to the project as an endorsement of its concept of utilizing the religious sentiments of the devotees of Lord Jagannatha to achieve practical environmental goals. Also, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has come forward with technical assistance.

For more information about Sri Jagannatha Forest Project, or if you would like to sponsor some trees for Lord Jagannath please contact Bhaktarupa das, c/o ISKCON NH#5, IRC Village, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, INDIA, or via e-mail to: bhaktarupa.acbsp@com.bbt.se