Odisha artist creates record for making smallest Lord Jagannath's chariot

Berhampur: Artist Satya Maharana has created a miniature version of Nandighosa-- Lord Jagannath's chariot for Rath Yatra. The creation has got an entry into the India Book of Records and International Book of Records for being the smallest of its kind.

Maharana, from Berhampur in Odisha, said he worked continuously for four days to create the chariot, and expressed hope that he would achieve more recognition for the piece of work. He claimed that The Guinness Book of Records has given its consent to give it a special tag.

As per the artist, the miniature chariot is a lookalike of the Nandighosa Rath of Lord Jagannath as it consists of all artistic features of the Rath. The chariot has 16 wheels, four horses, two parrots, a chariot top and a flag.

The chariot is entirely made up of teak and Gambhari wood and weighs a total of eight grams, with its height being 2.5 inches and width 2 inches.

The chariot is complete with a Sarathi of height 1.5 inches and Lord Jagannath of height 1 inch.

Jagannath Rath Yatra is a nine-day chariot festival celebrated in Odisha's Puri every year. This year, the festival began on July 4 amid heavy security arrangements.