Hunt for chariot parts to fix snag before Ultorath

Kolkata: A day after Iskcon’s chariot that carries Lord Jagannath developed a steering system snag and had to be towed to Brigade Parade ground by a breakdown recovery truck, mechanics failed to find replacement parts at a market in north Kolkata’s Chiriamore where used truck components are sold. The hunt at the scrap market will begin again on Tuesday. If unsuccessful, a team will head to Panagarh where a similar market operates.
The breakdown of the chariot during the high-profile Rath Yatra on Sunday caused immense embarrassment to Iskcon officials and anguish to lakhs of devotees who had lined up along the scheduled route to get a glimpse of the deity.Iskcon is desperate to fix the problem before Ultorath on Monday. “We have to change several parts in the steering box including the pinion and pinion rack, as well as the rod in the steering column. We have been unable to locate the parts yet,” said Iskcon vice-president Radharamn Das. While the steering rod can be quickly fabricated, the other complex parts of the steering system will take time if they have to be machined and hence the search for second-hand parts.

The chariot had been constructed by an American devotee and engineer, Garry William Roberts, alias Mayesvara Dasa, in 1978. Based on drawings and specifications of the chariot designed by Jayananda Prabhu that was used in the Rath Yatra along 5th Avenue in New York in 1976. Roberts, who was then 24 years old, made the three chariots in 1978 and they have been operating since then without any major breakdown till Sunday, when Jagannath’s chariot gave way and it became impossible to turn the chariot’s front wheels. “Since the chariots lie unused for a year, they develop minor problems that are addressed before each Rath Yatra. Most of them are in the superstructure and not mechanicals. This year, we have replaced the steel wheels of Balaram’s chariot. We have been contemplating changing the tyres of Jagannath’s chariot for five years. Now, we have to go for a major overhaul after Ultorath,” said Das.