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Wood shortage hits Puri car festival

Even Gods have to suffer environmental degradation.

Phasi, Asana and Dharua forest trees, used in building gigantic chariots of Lord Jagannath for the car festival in Puri, have become scarce and temple authorities are finding it difficult to arrange for wood.

Now, under a Rs 650 million government project, the trees are to be planted in 2800 hectares along the Mahanadi in Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Phulbani, Cuttack and Dhenkanal.

The project, Jagannath Bana Prakalpa, will be headed by Gajapati king Dibya Singh Deb of Puri and include as member collectors and divisional forest officers of the six districts.

Various district rural development agencies have released Rs 75 lakh to start the project.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who launched the project on Sunday, also took stock of the progress for the conduct of the festival at its preparatory committee meeting in the holy city.

The daitapatis and servitors of the temple promised the timely completion of all rituals and nitis of the presiding deities of the temple, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balavadra and their sister Devi Shubhadra, for the car festival on July 3.

The chief minister expressed displeasure over the absence of the representatives of the Archaeological Survey of India at the festival co-ordination committee meeting. The ASI is looking after repairs, conservation and preservation of the 12th century temple.

Patnaik also released an additional Rs one million to the Puri civic body on a request by the chairperson of the Puri municipality to undertake steps regarding health and hygiene during the festival.

Patnaik assured the meeting that the festival would be telecast live on the national network as he had taken up the matter with Union information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitely. Railway representatives told the meeting that special trains would run during the festival.

UNI

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