The three chariots of the holy Trinity nearing completion in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, June 26: Chariot construction is in its last stages at Ratha Khala near the Jagannath temple in Puri with lakhs of devotees eyeing to pull the three grand vehicles of the deities this Sunday on rath yatra.

The carpenters are giving final touches to the three raths with only two more days left for festivities to begin.

All the fittings are almost complete and the wooden planks have been set to give the vehicles the perfect look.

“We have worked day and night despite the unbearable heat and humidity. It was tough this year, but the construction of the chariots is dearer to us than anything else,” said Bijay Mohapatra, chief carpenter of Lord Jagannath’s chariot Nandighosh.

The frames to form the gateways on the four sides of the chariot have also been placed at their respective positions. However, paintings and draping the upper portion with bright colours will be done on Friday.

‘Chitrakars’ or traditional painters of the temple have completed drawing and colouring design patterns on the chariot wheels. Painting of the dome and other ‘parswa devatas’ or statues of deities is also over.

“Various other minor deities will be painted on the planks of the chariot within a day,” said a chitrakar.

Once all decoration of the chariots is ready, on Sunday colourful cloth will be wrapped around the chariots as its hood.

“On Saturday, the deities will be back at the sanctum sanctorum after they are fully cured. That is when the chariots too will be ready for the gods and goddess to ride the next day,” said Mohapatra.

The tailoring community of servitors or ‘darji’ are also ready with their stuff. They have already stitched the huge covers to be wrapped with designs of trees and symbols that will be visible from far to devotees.

They have also stitched the cushions to be set on the thrones for the deities on each chariot.

“Every year, all the teams with different duties in construction of chariots work on a strict deadline to get ready everything by Nabajouban Darshan, that falls a day ahead of rath yatra. That is the day when deities end their hibernation. Since they get ready for their nine-day long vacation to Gundicha temple the following day, the chariots are brought from Ratha Khala to the temple gate and placed there according to the order in which deities will be seated on them one after another,” said Rama Chandra Das Mohapatra, the chief co-ordinator of chariot construction.