There is a moment every year on the Bada Danda — the Grand Road of Puri, there is an instant when three massive wooden chariots come alive as they are pulled by thousands of hands holding thick ropes made from coconut fibres. Not simply perceived as large, they really are huge; each of the three chariots of Rath Yatra is created entirely anew on an annual basis, never being used again, yet each one stands like a small city of finely carved wood, colourful cloth, painted deities and traditional purpose. The awe-inspiring event reaffirms the long-standing trend that this celebration is the largest wooden chariot festival celebrated in India.
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ToggleThree main deities of Jagannath Temple in Puri are Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. On Rath Yatra, the three deities leave the temple together as part of their annual journey to Gundicha Temple, a distance of around three kilometers, which will take place on July 16, 2026. Each deity has its own separate chariot and can be distinguished from one another by the name of their chariot, the height and colour of the chariot, the flag atop the chariot, the horses that pull the chariot, and the guardian deity that oversees the chariot. There is nothing about the three chariots of Rath Yatra that are alike or interchangeable. The three chariots have a combined total of 42 wheels, more than 2,000 pieces of wood, and approximately 1,090 meters of brightly-coloured fabric. Together these chariots form an impressive display that demonstrates the long-standing tradition of Puri Jagannath chariot 2026 festivities.
The Nandighosa chariot is the biggest and most well-known chariot of the three being used for the Rath Yatra festival. At the wheel level, it has a height of 45 feet and a width of 45 feet. This Lord Jagannath chariot details is studied very carefully by the devotees. The Nandighosa moves on 16 wheels with a diameter of 7 feet each. The chariot is covered in red and yellow material, and the yellow stripes represent the association of Lord Jagannath with Krishna, who is also known as Pitambara, the golden-robed one. The canopy of the chariot is a recognition of this association.
The Nandighosa chariot is constructed from 832 wooden pieces. The name of the chariot’s flag is Trailokyamohini, or “the enchantress of the three worlds.” The carved figure of the charioteer is Daruka; at the front of the chariot are four white horses named Samkha, Rochika, Mochika, and Jwalani. The sheer size of the Nandighosa chariot is a testament to ancient design, and its sides are decorated with 9 Parsva Devatas, including Varaha, Narshimha, Rama, Narayana, and Hanuman; the Sudarshana Chakra serves as the primary symbol of the chariot. One part of the chariot’s journey that touches many visitors is when the chariot makes a tradition stop at the cremation site of Bhakta Salabega, a 17th-century Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath, who defied all social boundaries to love his god.
The taladhwaja means the ‘Bamboo’ as it has bamboo tree symbolic represented on the flag. This Chariot is 44 feet tall with 14 wheels; each one has a 7-foot diameter. The Chariot is draped with red cloth and blue cloth, which creates an unstable yet calm feeling.
The Taladhwaja Chariot is made from 763 pieces of wood, has Matali as the Charioteer, and is drawn by four black horses whose names are Tribra, Ghora, Dirghasharma, and Swornanava. The guardian deity for this Chariot is Vasudev, and it has nine Parsva Devata’s, which include Ganesh, Kartikeya, and Mrutyunjaya, surrounding the Chariot. The Taladhwaja Chariot is the leading Chariot in the procession, as Balabhadra is the first-born son, so he travels first. A minor detail; however, this indicates how much family relationships and traditions lie within this tradition.
The Taladhwaja Chariot is also the most visible of all 3 Chariots due to the Balabhadra’s color combination of red and blue, and as such, millions of Devotees will be able to see this Chariot from a distance on the Grand Avenue, regardless of the number of people present.
The second of the three Chariots is the Devadalana Chariot (also known as Darpadalana, which means “the trampler of pride”) is the Chariot of Devi Subhadra. It transfers back and forth between her two brothers, with her two male protectors on either (left and right) side of her for both the whole journey back and the journey forth during the Rath Yatra return procession.
The Devi Subhadra chariot Rath Yatra, which is the lowest in size (43-feet high on 12 wheels) of the three chariots, is distinct in its own right and has its own mannerisms. Wrapped up in red and black cloth, the color black is quite intentional, as the color black is the color of the primordial Goddess energy in the Shakta belief. The “guardian-patron deity” is Jayadurga; the “charioteer” is Arjuna aka Subhadra’s own husband (in Mahabharata), thus ritualizing the story through the most beautiful form of storytelling. The four (4) red horses connected to the chariot are named Rochika, Mochika, Jita and Aparajita. The beautiful Devadalana chariot is made of 593 pieces of wood and is the most personal of the three; the smallest in size, but not in importance. The Subhadra chariot is known as being the Divine Feminine’s anchoring energy.
The chariot construction Puri process is nothing short of amazing. Each year, three chariots are constructed solely with new wood, and none of them will be reused. The Puri chariot construction commences on Akshaya Tritiya and utilizes the principles outlined in the Silpashastra, which is a very ancient tradition of construction. The wood used in building the chariots include Phasi, Dhaura, Asan, Simili, Mahanimba, Gabhari, and Kadamba and are selected by the Gajapati King of Puri.
The wheels are constructed first (42 in total) and are then affixed to the axles in a ceremony called Chaka Dera. After the wheels are affixed, the bed frame is constructed and then the top frame. No metal nails are used in building the main frame of the chariots; instead, wooden joinery and ropes made from coconut fibers hold the frame together. The chariots also contain two wooden doorkeepers, one wooden charioteer, and one flag deity, all of which are made from wood. More than 1,090 meters of fabric will be sewn and draped around the three completed chariots to be displayed during the wooden chariot festival in India, with most being made in Pipli, Odisha.
In time for the next Puri Jagannath chariot 2026 festival in 2026, three new wooden carts will be started anew on Bada Danda. Each of the three carts has the same height profile (the same for Nandighosa, Taladhwaja, and Devadalana), with total heights of 45, 44, and 43 feet respectively. The Rath Yatra chariot wheels have a total of 16, 14, and 12 wheels respectively, each having an outer diameter of seven feet. These chariot festival facts have not changed in many hundreds of years.
This is one reason why they are so outstanding. In terms of chariot festival facts, there is a great deal of evidence available which shows the superiority of these three traditional engineering systems for each of the three chariots. The Rath Yatra chariot height and configuration of the three chariots has produced an extreme amount of balance in each of them. In addition to the balance of the Rath Yatra chariot wheels, the ability of the wheels of the three chariots to withstand extreme loads and bear the entire load of each of the three large wooden chariot superstructures is a direct result of the engineering design of the wheels (which have been able to support the extreme loadings).
Perhaps the most striking item of knowledge regarding the Lord Jagannath chariot details is that no engines, no machinery, and no structural shortcuts were used to build the three chariots; each was constructed using only wood, string, cloth, and families who have constructed them for generations.
