Sukhoi fighter jet tyres fitted on Lord Jagannath's chariot for ISKCON Kolkata Rath Yatra

Forty-eight years after trundling on tyres used for Boeing aircraft, the chariot used during ISKCON's Rath Yatra in Kolkata has got new tyres that are used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets.

The chariot, with the new set of tyres, will carry Lord Jagannath on this year's Rath Yatra which will be held on June 27.

The ageing and worn-out old tyres have been replaced by the new tyres used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets, according to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata Radharaman Das told PTI on Monday that for the last 48 years, tyres used for Boeing aircraft were used to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath, but for the last 20 years they have been trying to get a replacement as technical issues cropped up with the four old tyres over time.

''We were looking for replacements but the maker of Boeing tyres, Dunlop had stopped operations years back. After thorough research, Sukhoi's tyres closely matched our specifications as those have the same diameter size tyres used in Boeing,'' he said.

''We then contacted MRF which makes tyres for the Sukhoi fighter jets. The company's experts came to Kolkata in December last year and inspected our chariot that carries the idol of Lord Jagannath on Rath yatra. After the tyres were fitted, the chariot had a test run for over 20 km in the city on May 31,'' he said.

Some structural adjustments had to be made in the wooden chariot to fit in the Sukhoi tyres, Das said.

''So by the grace of Lord Jagannath his chariot got brand new tyres and we are confident of a smooth journey of the Lord on the day of auspicious Rath Yatra on June 27 and Ultorath-The return car festival on July 5,'' he added. Each of the four tyres can withstand a load of 16 tonnes. The chariots of other deities will have iron wheels as usual. Asked if using fighter aircraft tyres for pulling the chariot of the Lord is unique and unprecedented, Das said, ''We had fitted Boeing tyres with the main chariot in 1977 for the Lord's journey on the roads of Kolkata. We have no information about such practices followed elsewhere in the country or Asia.''

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