Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Mahishadal: After Puri, Mahesh, there is an ancient heritage chariot in Mahishadal. That chariot is about 225 years old. The ancient heritage chariot has now become dilapidated. There was a long-standing request from the residents of Mahishadal as well as the MLA of Mahishadal to renovate that chariot. Now, in response to that request, the ancient heritage chariot of Mahishadal will be brought under heritage and renovated. Instructions have been sent to the District Magistrate's office to prepare a DPR on how much it will cost to renovate the ancient chariot of Mahishadal. The West Bengal Heritage Commission has sent instructions to the District Magistrate as well as to the MLA of Mahishadal, Tilak Kumar Chakraborty.
Mahishadal MLA Tilak Kumar Chakraborty said, "I had appealed to the Heritage Commission to renovate the 225-year-old Mahishadal chariot, which is a part of Mahishadal's ancient heritage. That appeal has been responded to. The instructions have been given to send the DPR to the District Magistrate immediately. If everything goes well, the Mahishadal chariot will be decorated in a new form next year."
Haraprasad Garg, a current member of the Mahishadal royal family, said, "The Heritage Department has sent instructions to renovate the Mahishadal chariot, which is very good to hear."
The ancestor of the Mahishadal dynasty, Janardan Upadhyaya, took the hand. Among the descendants of Janardan Upadhyaya, Prince Anandalal Upadhyaya was crowned king. After reigning for 31 years, when he passed away in 1769, his wife Rani Janaki took over the throne. He was very religious. He started making a chariot for the purpose of the gathering. But that chariot did not start running during his reign. That chariot started running during the time of Motilal Pande (Upadhyay) of the dynasty.
The name of the Mahishadal chariot is heard after Puri and Mahesh. This ancient wooden chariot of Mahishadal is the only one in India. The chariot of Mahishadal is known as the chariot of Madangopal Jiu. Jagannath and the Shalgram Shila Sridhar Jiu of the Rajbari live with Madangopal Jiu.
Members of the Mahishadal royal family say that although Jagannath Dev's chariot is celebrated in other places, the royal family's Kulo deity Madan Gopal Jiu goes in the Mahishadal chariot. According to tradition, the chariot procession starts after a member of the royal family puts his hand on the rope of the chariot.