Puri February 17 :The ritualistic beginning of chariot construction commenced with the ‘Rath Anukula’ marking the Saraswati Puja on Tuesday even as a devotee donated around five kg gold and 3.5 kg silver ornaments to the Trinity on the auspicious occasion of Basanta Panchami.
The ornaments include 40 Srimukha Padma and two Jhobas (gold) for Lord Balabhadra, 53 Srimukha Padmas and two Jhobas for Lord Jagannath and two Tadaki and as many Jhobas for Devi Subhadra.
The unnamed donor sent the ornaments through one of his employees.
To be used by the deities during festivals and daily rituals, the ornaments were handed over to chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Dr Krishan Kumar in presence of senior servitors and the temple managing committee members.
Meanwhile, priests of Sri Jagannath temple performed consecration ceremony of the timber logs to be used in construction of the three chariots during the annual Rath Yatra. Three Dharua timbers, each 12 feet long, were consecrated by priests after offering Puja to goddess Saraswati.
The timbers would be sawed in the mill on the occasion of Ramnavami. As many as 869 seasoned timber logs of Asan, Dharua and Phasi are used in construction of the chariots. The Forest department is providing the timber.