Wonderful Huge Wooden Car Rath of Shivyoga Mandir Badami Closeup Video 1

Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart. Ratha is the Indo-Iranian term for the spoked-wheel chariot of Antiquity.Ratha or Rath means a chariot or car made from wood with wheels. The Ratha may be driven manually by rope, pulled by horses or elephants. Rathas are used mostly by the Hindu temples of South India for Rathoutsava (Car festival). During the festival, the temple deities are driven through the streets, accompanied by the chanting of mantra, hymns, shloka or bhajan.Shivagoya Mandira is situated on the banks of the Malaprabha River near Badami, the Shivagoya Mandir trains and educates the Veershaiva mathadhipathis and finds an important place for the Veerashaiva Lingayats. Many enthusiastic devotees joined hands with Sri Hanagal Kumara Swamiji in his social service and establishing Shivayoga Mandira.
His Holiness Paramapoojya Sri Hanagal Kumara Swamy worked hard for the development of Shivavoga Mandir. His capability, qualities and good events, his faith in God, his energy, presence of mind and his sympathy for the poor won the hearts of the millions. For the development of the Shivayogamandira, he travelled continuously ignoring his health and he got hundreds of acre of lands and he invested it for the development of Shivayogamandira.
Mangalore: The world's tallest temple car is being built at Perdoor, 22 km from Udupi. It will be dedicated to Shivayoga Mandir of Badami in Bagalkot district to mark the temple's centenary celebrations on Feb 14.Finishing touches are being given to the 65-ft temple rath. Sri Sanganabasava Swamiji of Kottur Swami Mutt will dedicate the car to the temple.Rajashekar Hebbar Udupi, the chief sculptor who conceptualized the car, said, "The special carving is the highlight of this temple car, which is based on the Chalukya and Hoysala architecture." Hebbar said the car highlights are: 14 elephants, 10 horses, six wheels, eight different poses of Lord Shiva describing his avatars, the 'ashta dikpalaru', four Nandi idols and four 'kshetrapalas'.
About 3,000 cubic feet Kiral Bogi and Ranja tree wood, a kind of hard wood, has been used for the frame, while 1,380 cubic feet of teak wood has been used for the outside carving. It weighs about 58,000 kg. The rath is being built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. The work on the temple car began on Sept 21 last. The rath will be transported in nine different parts. A total of 48 people are working round the clock in two shifts on the project.( From http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.... with Thanks)

Thiruvarur, Srivilliputhur, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu & Puri, in Orissa, host some of the largest annual temple car festivals.