Carpenters of the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings stage a token strike, demanding 20 per cent hike in their remuneration, in Puri on Tuesday.

They resumed work after the Shree Jagannath Temple administration assured them of looking into their demands.

At present, a carpenter gets Rs 400 as daily wage. Chief carpenter of Nandighosh, the Lord's chariot, Bijoy Mohapatra said: "Considering our hard work under the blazing sun, the administration has assured us of sympathetically looking into our demands. Every year, the administration used to give us a 20 per cent hike, but the practice was violated this time."

Around 200 workers take nearly 58 days to complete the three chariots - the Lord's Nandighosh, Balabhadra's Taladhwaj and Subhadra's Darpadalana.

Mohapatra said a carpenter had received Rs 362 per day last year. "This time, it should be Rs 434. But, they are giving us Rs 400," he said.

They also demanded extra allowance for working overtime. "It's not possible to complete all the chariots within 58 days. There are many intricacies involved in chariot making. Any fault from our side will hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees. For generations together, we have been doing it perfectly. Our sincerity should be acknowledged."

Mohapatra said: "We hope to complete the chariots on June 24, one day before rath yatra."

PICTURE BY SARAT PATRA