A man in Vadodara, Gujarat has been celebrating the Rath Yatra festival for the past nine years in a unique way. Rather than using the traditional wooden chariots pulled by devotees, Jai Makwana operates a remote-controlled robot-driven motor chariot to carry an idol of Lord Jagannath in what he calls the ‘Robo Rath Yatra’. This year, he took the initiative to make the chariot motor solar-powered by using solar-charged batteries in the robot motor and fitting solar panels on the top of the chariot which seats the Sudarshan Chakra. Makwana’s inspiration came from the issue of fresh wood being used each year in Jagannath Puri to build a new chariot, prompting the environmentally-conscious man to use technology to spread a message of discretion in science.
The Rath Yatra is an annual festival celebrated in various parts of India, including Gujarat and Odisha, where idols of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are installed on majestic chariots and pulled by thousands of devotees to visit the Gundicha Temple. This year, the Rath Yatra fell on June 20. In Gujarat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah participated in the ‘Mangla Aarti’ at the Jagannathji Temple in Ahmedabad for the occasion. In Rajkot, the Saurashtra region observed its longest Rath Yatra yet, with a route of 23 kilometres.
The Rath Yatra is associated with Lord Jagannath and has its roots in Hindu scriptures such as Brahma Purana and Skanda Purana. While the ancient chariot processions in Puri and Ahmedabad draw large crowds every year, Jai Makwana’s interpretation of the event has garnered much attention and respect for his environmentally-conscious message.
