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The
town, which has a
population of about
lakh spread over a
few square miles,
turns in to a unique
epic town of Mathura
for 11 days festival
known locally as
Dhanu Yatra.
“By organizing this
festival on such a
large scale we want
to send the message
that generation may
have passed but the
definition of good
and evil remains
unchanged,” says one
of the Organiser.
Come the month of
Pusha (winter, the
first half of
January), the sleepy
town turns festive,
the whole town
becomes stage where
people depict
mythology into a
religion. The
uniqueness of the
festival lies in the
fact that all the
episodes of ‘Kans
Vadh’ (The killing
of Kans) takes place
in different parts
of the town making
it the largest open
air theatre in the
world.
Interestingly, the
people in the state
as well as inside
their houses become
artist, the
satellite
settlements near by
villages, rivers and
buildings takes on
classical names as
they were known in
the age of
Mahabharat. A
visitor at this time
may be pardoned for
thinking that he
has, by mistake got
into a time machine
which has
transported him
backward.
During the festival
Bargarh awakes to
the vibrations of
drums, bugles and
shehenais. “For 11
days we forget
todays worlds”, said
Kanhu Pattnaik, a
school teacher in
Bargarh who is happy
that bewildered
truck drivers on the
National High Way
near the town still
ask whether Kans
rules in this part
of the world.
Bargarh becomes
Mathura Puri as in
was called some
5,000 years ago. The
neighboring Amapali
village becomes
“Goapa Pur” the
place Krishna
immortalized with
the “Bala Lilla” The
Jeera which flows
between Bargarh and
Amapali becomes
“Yamuna” for the
time being.
The mood takes over
thousands from near
by villages who
throng the streets
of Bargarh to enjoy
and participate in
the cultural drama.
The main attraction
is Kans whose
characterization
dominate the
festival despite
people viewing him
as a demon.
“Begging the role of
Kans, is no mean a
task, for it means
royal living for 11
days and passing
orders like a king,
says Gopal Sahu, who
played the role for
15 years before
being denied the
role since 2001”.
Interestingly the
festival not only
re-enacts mythology
but also provide
amusements to the
people. As Kans goes
around the city
every day the people
regardless of, who
they are bow before
him. The District
Collector and
Magistrate,
Superintendent of
Police and other
administrative
officials who visit
Kans Darbar are
treated as the
King’s employees and
local MLAs, MPs and
Ministers are
projected as his
representatives.
The festival begins
with enactment the
grand wedding of
devaki and Vasudev,
then traces the
birth of Krishna and
climaxes with Kans’s
death.
The unique
extravaganza boasts
of a cast that
involves virtually
everyone in Bargarh.
The Panchayat Motel
turns in the royal
palace of Kans and
the Durbar is a
pandal erected at
Hatpada in the heart
of the Bargarh town.
The local Radha
Krishna temple
serves as the prison
house of Vasudeva
and Devaki. The most
remarkable feature
of the Yatra, which
hopes to find a
place in Guinness
Book of World Record
is that there are no
spectators, rather
all are participants
in the epic play.
Kans, astride a
decorated elephant,
goes on a Nagar
Parikrama every
morning. During the
tour, he imposes
fines on businessmen
as well as
government
departments for
violation of rules.
He also holds a
durbar to listen to
the grievances of
his subjects and
reprimands or awards
officials, including
the Collector and
Superintendent of
Police, who become
his court officials
during the festival.
In short, anyone who
dares to cross his
path gets the royal
rap, no one is
spared, the
dictatorial power
enlivening the whole
drama. Anyone can be
hauled by the kind,
from Chief Minister
down to the poor and
landless labourers.
In 1994 for
instance, the then
Chief Minister Sri
Biju Pattnaik, who
attended the yatra
was summoned to
Kans’s Durbar.
Pattnaik not only
oblidged but even
deposited a fine for
a punishment served
on him.
According to
scholars, the origin
of “Dhanu Yatra” is
obscure. Some say it
was very popular in
the 18th century
while others argue
that is started in
the 16th century. It
is also believed
that the yatra was
restarted during the
British regime.
SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR
DHANU YATRA, BARGARH
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