Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has agreed to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s (SJTA) proposal to install three wheels of the chariots used in the Puri Rath Yatra within the Parliament complex, a senior official said on Saturday. In a statement, SJTA noted that during Birla’s recent visit to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the administration suggested placing the wheels in Parliament, which he readily accepted.
SJTA’s Chief Administrator, Arvind Padhee, posted on X that the Speaker, along with other dignitaries, sought blessings of Lord Jagannath on Friday. He expressed gratitude to Birla for agreeing to display one wheel each from the chariots of Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosa, Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana, and Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja at a prominent location in Parliament, as a symbol of Odisha’s timeless culture and spiritual heritage.
Padhee also explained that after every Rath Yatra, the chariots are dismantled and new wood is used annually, with parts, including wheels, stored or auctioned. Birla was welcomed at Puri’s Lions Gate by Padhee, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and MP Sambit Patra.
