Construction of the three chariots for coming annual Rath Yatra began on Tuesday, the Akshaya Tritiya. Keeping the tradition, the temple priests handed over the Ajna Mala (the order of the lord Jagannath) to the three heads of the carpenters' clan to initiate the construction of the Raths.
The Purohit performed Homa to mark the beginning of the construction. The carpenter chiefs were accorded ceremonial Sarees atop their heads by the temple administration to carry out the job.