Bhubaneswar, Dec 17: Preparations for next year’s Ratha Yatra of the sibling deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra—commenced today as a three-member team arrived in Nayagarh with the sacred Agyan Mala (divine orders) and offerings to initiate the felling of wood for chariot construction.

According to reports, the team from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, comprising Sudarshan Mekap, Lakshman Mahapatra, and Rabi Behera, reached the Badaraula Temple in Badamula under the Nayagarh forest division.

Following tradition, two truckloads of logs are annually dispatched to the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri after a special puja. The team conducted rituals, including hymn recitation and offerings, at the presiding deity of the Badaraula Temple. The ceremony began at 8 AM and concluded by 2 PM.

Last year, forest officials were instructed to cut 865 logs, of which 51 remained unused. This year, the temple administration has directed officials to fell 814 trees to meet the required number of logs for chariot-making.

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