The Ratha Yatra commences from the second day of the bright fortnight in the month of Asadh (June-July). Three special wooden chariots are built for Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra respectively. The construction work of chariots commences on the Aksaya tritiya day (April-May) in front of the palace of the Raja of Puri. The chariots are built by skilled carpenters. The auspicious beginning of chariot-building is marked with a definite ritual. The Raja of Daspalla (now Govt. Orissa) is entrusted with the supply of wood required for the construction of the cars. In 1993, 872 logs of various size of dhaura, asana and sahaja wood from Daspalla and 240 logs of soft wood from Ranapur forest have been procured for the construction of the three chariots. Fourteen subsidiary deities, charioteers and horses, however, are not built every year. The three cars are built anew. The three unidentical cars bear the following names with fixed number of wheels.
Balabhadra's -Taladhvaja (13.2 m. high) with 14 wheels,
Subhadra's - Devadalana/Darpadalana (12.9 m. high) with 12 wheels.
Sri Jagannath's - Nandighosa (13.5 m high) with 16 wheels.
The superintendent of Puri royalty (now the temple administrator) customarily supplies necessary commodities for the mangalarpana (ritual pertaining to auspicious beginning) on the day of the Car Festival. From the bhandara ghara (Store) are brought 10 patrasaja (Plates containing necessary Puja materials) and golden sticks. Two chest loads of Puja materials are also brought from the Temple. The Raghava Das Math provides taya (or tahia) a massive headgear made of sola). The following servitors are engaged in the celebration-
1. Daksina dvara palia padhihari (The person posted at the Southern Gate with specific function on the festive days)
2. Suarabadu (discharger of responsibilities at the time of food offering)
3. Muduli (The person in .charge of daily Puja materials made especially of gold and silver and the custodian of Puja utensils)
4. Suddha Suara (The person associated with food offerings to the deities)
5. Mudirasta/Mudiratha/Mudrahasta (representative of the Gajapati Raja of Puri who happens to be the foremost servitor)
6. Panda (The consecrator and offerer of food to the deities.Pati Mohapatra (The person to wave light before the deities)
Daitapati (Persons in sole charge of the deities during the Car Festival both in pre-and post-festive period from SnanaPurnima to Vyasa Purnima).
Palia Khuntias (Servitor to help in dressing and undressing the deities, supply tulsi leaves, and invoke the deities with shouts of manima while holding forked canes).
Cangada Mekap (The person to bring clothings from the Cangada ghara (store) and hand over to the Pasupalakas during the mailam).
Vimanabadu - Palanquin bearer
Ghantuara (beater of ghanta (type of belt metal gongs))
Chatara (umbrella bearer)
Kahalia (trumpet blower)
Bajavala (drummer)
Bania (smith)
Puri Raja (the Thakur Raja of Puri)
Lenka (Caller of the specific sevakas)
Paika (Officials stationed round the clock inside the temple to take command from the temple authorities) Kotha Suansia (to fix canopies, wooden flights of stairs on festive occasions inside the temple and also carry chests from the Store to the chariots).
The construction of the three chariots which starts on the Aksaya trTtiya day is completed in a record time. The completed cars are placed before the Lion's Gate on the day following the asadha amavasya.
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