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In a statement, the SJTA said: “During Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s visit to Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, a proposal was given by the administration for installing three wheels of the chariots of Rath Yatra in the Parliament premises. Birla has accepted the proposal.”
SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee expressed gratitude in a post on X, writing: “Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, accompanied by other dignitaries, visited Shree Jagannatha Temple today, seeking Mahaprabhu’s blessings. We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Speaker for graciously agreeing to our proposal to install one wheel each from the three sacred chariots of Ratha Jatra at a prominent location within the Parliament premises.”
Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, accompanied by other dignitaries, visited Shree Jagannatha Temple today, seeking Mahaprabhu’s blessings. We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Speaker for graciously agreeing to our proposal to install one wheel each from the three sacred chariots of… pic.twitter.com/tAUC42TRLg
— Arabinda K Padhee (@arvindpadhee) August 29, 2025
Also read | Odisha to reconstitute Jagannath Temple committee, set stage for Ratna Bhandar inventory
Birla, accompanied by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Puri MP Sambit Patra, was welcomed at the Lion’s Gate of the temple by Padhee on Friday.
According to SJTA, wheels from the chariots of Lord Jagannath (Nandighosh), Devi Subhadra (Darpadalan) and Lord Balabhadra (Taladwaja) will be transported to Delhi. The installation in Parliament is intended to serve as a symbol of Odisha’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
Each year, following the annual Rath Yatra, the three massive chariots are dismantled. While new timber is used to reconstruct them annually, certain traditional components are preserved. Chief carpenter of the Nandighosh chariot, Bijay Mohapatra, said that dismantled parts are stored, with some, including wheels, later auctioned.
Officials noted that the decision to place the wheels in Parliament would ensure that the legacy of the centuries-old festival is represented at a national platform, connecting the traditions of Puri with the country’s highest democratic institution.
Also read | ‘Do not consume Mahaprasad on…’: Puri Jagannath Temple has a request for devotees
Meanwhile, security concerns at the 12th-century Jagannath temple resurfaced after a 31-year-old man from Kolkata was caught with spectacles fitted with hidden cameras inside the shrine earlier this week. Police said this was the fourth such incident in recent months.
The man, identified as Arup Roy, was apprehended by the Jagannath Temple Police after he was seen shaking his spectacles repeatedly inside the sanctum. On closer inspection, the glasses were found to contain cameras with recording capability, Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said.
Roy was detained at Singhadwar police station, while his spectacles and mobile phone were seized for forensic verification. “A case will be registered in this regard, and the spectacles will be sent to the state Forensic Science Laboratory for examination,” the SP said.
He added that security personnel have been instructed to strictly monitor attempts to use hidden or spy cameras within the temple premises, where photography and videography remain prohibited.
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