Bargarh, Dec 26: The sacred pillar (Subha Stambha) and the sacred flag (Subha Dhwaja) were founded on Wednesday in the western town of Bargarh marking the beginning of preparations of the 67th edition of the famous Dhanu Yatra.
The festival, which boasts of the world’s largest open air theatre, will be held from January 14 to 24.
Keeping with the tradition, a special prayer and worship was performed at the Samaleswari temple of Bargarh. A cultural procession started from the temple with the garlanded order of the temple and reached the venue of Dhanu Yatra, Sanchar Mandap, at Hatapada after doing rounds of the town.
The royal priest Shiba Prasad Dash offered an Ashtakala Naga Puja (cobra worship) at the venue. District Collector Anjan Kumar Manik and SP Asish Kumar Singh played host to the consecrated fire (Havan) officially starting the preparations for the 11-day-long festival.
For these 11 days, Bargarh town turns into Mathuranagar, the capital of Kansa while Ambapalli village across river Jeera becomes Gopapura, the abode of Lod Krishna.
The play comprises three mythological episodes Krishna Leela, Mathura Bijay and Kansa Badha. The age-old story of Lord Krishna killing the tyrannical King Kansa forms the central theme of the play.
Kansa, the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna, invites Krishna and Balaram to participate in the Dhanu Yatra, which is held in his capital Mathura. But Lord Krishna senses the evil design of assassination behind the invitation and kills Kansa, freeing his subjects from perpetual oppression. The play ends with the death of Kansa.
The Dhanu Yatra in its present form started in 1948 in the aftermath of the country’s Independence as a performance charged with nationalistic fervour.
