In a significant development, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved a proposal from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to place three wheels from the Rath Yatra chariots within the Parliament grounds, as confirmed by a senior official on Saturday.

The SJTA released a statement noting, "During his visit to the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Speaker Om Birla received a proposal to install three chariot wheels in Parliament, which he has accepted."

Arabinda Padhee, the chief administrator of SJTA, expressed gratitude on social media, stating, "The Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker, along with other dignitaries, visited the temple seeking blessings from Mahaprabhu. We are thankful for his agreement to our proposal to install one wheel from each of the three sacred chariots at a prominent spot in Parliament."

Birla was accompanied by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Puri MP Sambit Patra, and they were received by Padhee at the Lion's Gate on Friday.

Padhee elaborated that the wheels from the Nandighosh (Lord Jagannath), Darpadalan (Devi Subhadra), and Taladwaja (Lord Balabhadra) chariots will be transported to Delhi, symbolizing Odisha's rich cultural and spiritual legacy.

Each year, after the Rath Yatra, the chariots are dismantled, with new wood used for construction, except for certain significant components, as explained by Bijay Mohapatra, the chief carpenter of the Nandighosh chariot.

The dismantled parts are stored, and some, including the wheels, are auctioned off.