Tirupati: Decks have been cleared for the trial run on Monday of a golden chariot worth Rs 24 crore carrying Lord Venkateswara, Lord of the Seven Hills at the world famous Tirumala shrine.
The 32-feet tall golden chariot has been built by using 74 kg gold and 2900 kg copper.
The golden chariot weighs 28 tons.
Eighteen gauge copper sheet and nine layers of gold has been used in the making of this chariot.
After complaints from the devotees that the old chariot was getting dull each year, the TTD decided to alter the silver-coated wooden chariot by applying a gold coat on it.
A wooden model was built for this purpose on which gold work has been done.
Once the chariot is assembled and given gold “malam” (coating), it will be shifted to a specially constructed mandapam before the main temple complex from its current location at the SV museum, which is closely guarded.
The chariot was coated with nine layers of gold to make it more dazzling.
The golden chariot's trial run will be held on September 30 at 9:05am.
On that day the chariot will be taken in procession along four mada streets and will be kept inside the newly constructed Swarnaratha mandapam behind Vahana Mandapamm
A team of 18 goldsmiths from Tamil Nadu worked to build the golden chariot.
Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation was given the contract in 1994.
In 2006, the then TTD executive officer Ajay Kallam took note of the chariot's losing sheen and instructed it to be cleaned with natural cleansers. As many as 25 people from engineering and garden departments of TTD worked on it for three days.
However, the “ratham” appeared dull again in 2009
During “Brahmotsavams,” the patches of rust and fungus were covered with floral arrangements before the “ratham” was taken out in procession.
A hasty patchwork of the dull sports with golden paint was done in 2010. As it became public, there was much hue and cry, which again prompted the TTD to deck the “ratham” with gold plates for Rs 3.5 crore in 2011.
Now, TTD management hopes the brand new chariot will appeal to the pilgrims who throng the hills for this year's “Brahmotsavam.”
