The Sri Jagannath Society, Japan, will be installing the idols of sibling deities – Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra – and Sudarshan at the Shri Ram Mandir in Bando city, Ibaraki, near Tokyo on July 2. The idols, carved out of neem wood by a sculptor in Puri, has been shipped to Tokyo from Ahmedabad, with a businessman bearing the shipment cost of around Rs 2 lakh. Thirty-one Indian families collected around Rs 1.15 lakh, out of which Rs 55,000 was spent on the idols.
“The idols are expected to reach by mid-June,” said Gyanindra Mishra, a convenor of the society. The idols of Jagannath and Balabhadra weigh 70kg and are 2.5ft high each. The idols of Subhadra and Sudarshan weigh 50kg and 30kg, respectively.
The Sri Jagannath Society, Japan was set up in September-October last year to spread Jagannath culture. The idols will be installed at the Shri Ram Mandir, the construction of which is expected to be completed in May-end.
"The idols of the sibling deities will be the first ones to be installed in the temple that is coming up on 4-5 acres of land. The idols will share space with Lord Ram,he said. On July 2, the day of the installation, a puja will be organised at the temple in which all the 31 families will participate. The society plans to release a magazine, "Sri Jagannath Souvenir", on the day. Articles are being collected on Jagannath culture, short narratives, poems and contemporary issues from the members. "It will have a children's section where paintings and other works by children will be featured," he added.
Rath Yatra will also be organised by the Society on July 2. The members will take out a religious procession from the temple to Sakura Machi, an area where a number of Indians stay. "We are in the process of getting police permission for the procession," said Mishra.