Govt sanctions Rs 1 crore for constructing wooden chariot for K’pada shrine

Kendrapada: The state govt on Wednesday sanctioned a financial grant of Rs 1 crore for construction of a new wooden chariot (rath) for Lord Baladevjew’s Rath Yatra at Ichapur locality in Kendrapada district, according to an official statement.“We need 3,550 cubic feet of sal wood to build the chariot. In the past, we used old timbers to build the chariot because of which, last year, six wheels, out of 14, developed cracks. This year, we will build a new chariot with 14 wheels for Rath Yatra,” Balabhadra Patri, the executive officer of Baladevjew temple, said on Wednesday.The Baladevjew temple was built by the king of Kujang, Raja Gopal Sandha, during the Maratha rule in Odisha in 1761 at Ichapur locality in Kendrapada town.