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Three sacred wheels from Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra chariots will be installed in Parliament, symbolizing Odisha’s culture.
The proposal was formally presented by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee during Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s visit. (File)
In a symbolic gesture, three sacred wheels of Lord Jagannath’s rath (chariot) will be installed in the Parliament complex as a permanent symbol of Odisha’s culture and heritage, Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has said.
The decision was confirmed on Saturday after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s recent visit to the temple town of Puri, during which the temple committee presented the proposal. The Speaker accepted it, officials said as reported by news agency PTI.
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In a statement, the SJTA said, “During Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s visit to Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, a proposal was given by the administration for installing three wheels of chariots of Rath Yatra in the Parliament premises. Birla has accepted the proposal.”
SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, in a post on X, said, “Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, accompanied by other dignitaries, visited Shree Jagannatha Temple today, seeking Mahaprabhu’s blessings. We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Speaker for graciously agreeing to our proposal to install one wheel each from the three sacred chariots of Ratha Jatra at a prominent location within the Parliament premises.”
Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, accompanied by other dignitaries, visited Shree Jagannatha Temple today, seeking Mahaprabhu’s blessings. We are deeply grateful to the Hon’ble Speaker for graciously agreeing to our proposal to install one wheel each from the three sacred chariots of… pic.twitter.com/tAUC42TRLg— Arabinda K Padhee (@arvindpadhee) August 29, 2025
Birla, accompanied by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Puri MP Sambit Patra, were welcomed by SJTA chief administrator at the Lion’s Gate on Friday.
Padhee said that the sacred wheels will be taken from the three grand chariots used during the annual Rath Yatra — Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh, Goddess Subhadra’s Darpadalan, and Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaj. One wheel from each chariot will be transported to Delhi and placed inside the Parliament premises as a lasting emblem of Odisha’s timeless culture and spiritual heritage.
Built every year in around two months by more than 200 craftsmen, the 45-feet-high wooden chariots of the sibling deities are dismantled after the annual Rath Yatra. New wood is used in the construction of chariots every year, except for some prominent parts, according to Nandighosh chariot chief carpenter Bijay Mohapatra.
The dismantled chariot parts are kept in godown, and some of them, including wheels, get auctioned.
This will be the second religious and cultural installation in the new Parliament building after the Sengol, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed near the Speaker’s chair in May 2023 to mark the transfer of power at Independence.
The Sengol, also known as the scepter, was handed over to Jawaharlal Nehru by the British as a symbol of the transfer of power on the night of August 14, 1947. Before 1960, it was kept at Anand Bhavan and then at the Allahabad Museum from 1978. After 75 years, the scepter entered Parliament.
(With inputs from PTI)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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