Should We Have Permanent Chariots For The Puri Car Festival Or Not ?

By D N Singh

There is a raging debate over the making of the three chariots of the deities of Puri.

As whether a system should be in place to construct three permanent chariots to avoid consumption of fresh trees each year and stress on the environment.

The argument of the purists on the other side is different. Absolutely there cannot be any deviation from the centuries old tradition being followed.

The reality at the bottom is, time is changing and so does the impact on our lives. It is not the same situation what was there fifty years back.

Every year for the construction of the three chariots of the Lord, over one thousand logs or trees are required. For which the procurement is done from mainly four districts of the state every year

Over one thousand fully seasoned trees of Asana, Dhaura and Phasi are used in the construction of the chariots.

Any layman’s argument can be whether it is prudent to load on the environment for the purpose or look ahead for a holistic alternative of having permanent chariots those can last at least for 10 to 15 years and made in such a way that, by the end of each Car Festival the parts of the chariots can be detached and re-fastened the next year.

Forests are also part of the creation of the God and  HE would not love to see its depletion for reasons of man-made traditions.

“ It is time that we a apply our wisdom and reduce our stress on the forests” said Prof Jaykrushna Panigrahi, a  known environmentalist and he added that, “ time has changed, we cannot stick to what was being done 500 years back and thrust must be laid on the realities, that is biodiversity which is in danger”.

One tree counts a lot. Every year thousands of trees are being felled for several developmental activities and there is no count as how many trees are illegally razed for smuggling.

Classic doomsday has already played out, temperature going up to 50 degree Celsius and it is important to ensure that our globe does not heat above 2 degree Celsius.

Rapid disappearance of forest cover is the prime reason and besides, which is more aggravated by emission of green house gases. Mind all that, green is the major catalyst to counter such man-made catastrophes.

On the otherhand, the ones advocating against any change in the tradition of the Lord, argue that, “it is an established practice which stems from faith and ancient strictures rooted in Vaidic principles driving the rituals in Puri” pleads Prof S N Rathasarma, a Jagannath cult expert in Puri.

Such a proposal was presented by the Nabagrah committee headed by the then Odisha governor B D Sharma and Justice RK Patra commission which had recommended constructing permanent chariots for the Rath Yatra. But that proposal was not accepted by the people presiding over the rites and rituals of the Deities.

Traditions are man made and it should be moderated with changing time. “ We need to limit our global temperature for which each tree plays a role and that is the one of the crucial aspects with which we can hit the state of carbon net-zero in few years to come” quipped Prof Panigrahi.

There is nothing in this to argue against the traditions prevailing in Jagannath culture but, it is regarding a change which should be to enforced to avoid humanitarian catastrophes in coming years.

God will always forgive for such change which is good for His creations.