Rath Yatra 2025: Meet the engineer behind Lord Jagannath's chariot brakes
Every year, the grand Rath Yatra in Puri draws thousands of devotees. This year, the Rath Yatra falls on July 27, 2025, and the spiritual energy is already palpable in Puri. But few know the man working quietly behind the scenes, ensuring the towering chariots stop safely when needed.
Aswin Kumar Mishra
, a retired mechanical engineer from Jharsuguda, is the unsung hero behind the braking system of these divine juggernauts.
It all started in 2007, when Aswin witnessed a near-miss as the massive chariots continued to roll forward even after the traditional wooden brakes were applied. Alarmed by the risk it posed to devotees, he decided to take matters into his own hands. By 2008, Aswin, along with fellow retired MCL employee Jaggu Benia and a dedicated team from Brajrajnagar, developed a new system to improve the chariot brakes. Their early attempts with ordinary rubber and nails failed. But they didn't give up. In 2010, success finally came with the use of specially designed big-headed steel nails and thick rubber sheets—crafted with layers of nylon, cotton, and rubber—secured to wooden logs that function as brake shoes.
The materials are sourced from across the country: nails from Gujarat and rubber sheets tailored to withstand the immense weight and force of the rolling chariots. Installing the system takes nearly a full day per chariot. Yet, Aswin and his team never ask for payment. For them, it's pure seva—a humble offering to
Lord Jagannath
.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute
Navy Quest
Undo
Aswin Kumar Mishra and his team is the one who came up with the current braking system in the Rath Yatra chariots. (Pic credit- TOI)
The divine chariots roll again
The Rath Yatra, observed on the second day of the Odia month of Ashadha Shukla Paksha, is the only time the sibling deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—emerge from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Descending the 22 holy steps of Baisi Pahacha, they are carried in a royal procession (Pahandi) through the Lion's Gate and onto the street.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
AI for India summit: Experts call for stronger R&D from academia and industry; AI adoption growing across sectors
Photo credit- ANI The need to scale up research and development (R&D) across Indian academia and industry was a recurring theme at the 'AI for India' summit in Bengaluru, where leading voices in artificial intelligence stressed the urgency of cross-sectoral collaboration to make AI work at scale in India. 'This is an opportunity. R&D must step up, and this effort needs to be implemented across the industry and in academia,' said Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Professor at IIT Bombay, during a fireside chat, according to ANI. He emphasised that while industries do face challenges in adapting to disruptive changes like AI, the responsibility to scale innovation lies with both industry and academic institutions. Rishikesha Krishnan, Director of IIM Bangalore, highlighted a shift already visible in placement processes. 'This year itself, in our placement interviews, we found companies asking prospective candidates: if you have to make a digital marketing plan for the company, how will you use AI tools to do it more effectively?' he said. He added that the institute is focusing on 'co-creation,' where 'the human being and the AI work together,' rather than simply relying on generative AI tools. In a separate panel, Gourav Gupta of TVS Motors shared that the company is deploying AI across a range of functions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Veja as oitenta mulheres mais lindas do Brasil Gloriousa Undo 'Our AI is being utilised in manufacturing efficiencies, equipment efficiencies, predictive maintenance, safety, and other areas,' he said. Gupta noted that TVS is also actively working with conversational and voice AI tools for customer service, sentiment analysis, and marketing campaigns, including a fully AI-generated ad campaign, ANI reported. 'We're using GenAI content that is very specific to consumers,' he said, underlining the potential for hyper-personalisation. On internal operations, Gupta said TVS Motors is also applying AI to employee engagement, reflecting the company's broader digital transformation strategy. Sateesh Seetharamiah, CEO of EdgeVerve, said his company has seen productivity improvements of 'close to 40 to 50 per cent' using AI. The 'AI for India' summit, organised by AI4India, seeks to establish actionable collaboration between deep tech startups, large enterprises, academia, civic bodies, and government stakeholders. ANI reported that the initiative promotes ethical research, open innovation, and capacity-building, with campaigns like DataDaan designed to ensure AI reaches every Indian. According to ANI, the summit is also showcasing cutting-edge models and technologies from leading startups such as Sarvam, BharatGen, Latlong AI, Parlaxiom, and Pienomial. Industry speakers from HDFC Bank, Tejas Networks, Sahamati Foundation, and Yotta are also participating. The ongoing discussions reflect a broader push to position India as a global hub for ethical and inclusive AI development, with institutions and industry converging to develop solutions that are both technologically advanced and socially responsible. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk on new Tesla Model Y car delivering itself from factory to customer's house: ‘There were no people in the…'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that a Model Y car successfully drove itself from the company's factory near Austin to a customer's home, marking what he described as the "first time" for such an autonomous delivery. This move showcases Tesla's ongoing push into autonomous driving technology. In a post shared on the social media platform X (earlier Twitter), stated in a post on X that the autonomous delivery of the Model Y occurred "across town" and included travel on highways. He also mentioned that the delivery was completed 'a day ahead of schedule.' In a comment on the post, the tech billionaire also specified that there was no one inside the car during the delivery, nor were there any remote operators controlling the vehicle. Later on, he shared multiple posts, including one with a video showing the car driving itself to the customer's home. What Elon Musk said about Tesla's first fully autonomous delivery to a customer In his first post regarding this Tesla achievement, Musk wrote: 'The first fully autonomous delivery of a Tesla Model Y from factory to a customer home across town, including highways, was just completed a day ahead of schedule!! Congratulations to the @Tesla_AI teams, both software & AI chip design!' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo 'There were no people in the car at all and no remote operators in control at any point. FULLY autonomous! To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous drive with no people in the car or remotely operating the car on a public highway,' he noted, adding more details about Tesla's first fully autonomous delivery in the post's comment section. Later on, replying to the customer's post who received his self-driving Tesla Model Y at his home, Musk wrote: 'First time that a car has delivered itself to its owner!' Soon after, Tesla shared a video of the car driving itself to the customer from the company's factory. The company highlighted: 'World's first autonomous delivery of a car! This Tesla drove itself from Gigafactory Texas to its new owner's home ~30min away — crossing parking lots, highways & the city to reach its new owner' Musk reshared this video and wrote: 'Kapow! 💫' This comes just days after Tesla launched its pilot robotaxi service, giving a select group of influencers and investors self-driving rides in Model Y cars within a limited area of Austin. Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold After 1 Year: Is It STILL My Daily Driver? (Long-Term Review) AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Safe Summer Campaign: Abu Dhabi Police lists key measures to keep children safe in cars
The Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters has warned people against leaving their children unattended in vehicles during the summer season while travelling or when the car is parked. The police have issued an advisory listing key measures to ensure children's safety inside cars as a part of the 'Safe Summer' campaign in collaboration with the Civil Defence Authority. The police have highlighted six essential safety measures to protect children inside vehicles, especially critical during the summer months, when temperatures are on the higher side and families rely heavily on cars for travelling. As a part of the Safe Summer campaign, authorities emphasised the following six precautions: Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Always place children in appropriate child safety seats. Ensure seat belts are fastened securely. Never leave or forget children inside the vehicle. Park in safe, shaded areas and pay close attention when children are exiting the car. Prevent children from opening the vehicle doors or attempting to drive. Never allow children to sit in the front seat, especially behind the steering wheel, during driving. Other key measures Front seat safety restrictions Live Events The police have strictly prohibited children aged 10 or below or those shorter than 145 cm from sitting in the front seat of a vehicle in view of the safety risks, including accidents. When an accident occurs, the front seat typically bears the most impact, increasing the likelihood of severe injuries for children. Violating this rule will invite a fine of Dh400. The regulation also applies to adults under 145 cm in height. Seat belts are crucial To minimise the risk of injury in road accidents, seat belts are crucial as they help in keeping children in place, significantly mitigating the chance of serious injuries. During sudden collisions or hard braking, seat belts restrict body movement, providing added protection to the child's head, neck and torso. Summer vehicle safety awareness In a bid to promote public awareness of summer vehicle safety, particularly for road travel, authorities have laid emphasis on the importance of regular vehicle maintenance and safe driving practices during high-temperature conditions. Six key public awareness messages to ensure safety: Regular maintenance, tyre checks, fluid checks, brake inspection, light functionality, and valid documentation.
