Odisha: Dhanuyatra from December 27 after Covid break of two years

BARGARH: The famous Dhanuyatra of Bargarh will be held from December 27 after a gap of two years. The 11-day event will conclude on January 6, 2023. A decision in this regard was taken during the general body meeting of the organising committee on Wednesday.

Dhanuyatra was held last time from December 31, 2019, to January 10, 2020. While the following year, it could not be celebrated due to the Covid-19 threat, earlier this year, another season of the yatra was cancelled after the executive committee unanimously decided to not hold the festival to avoid congregation of the public amid Covid restrictions imposed by the State government and ensure the safety of people.

Prior to this, Dhanuyatra was cancelled only once in 1965 due to the Indo-Pak war. DYMS convener Sureswar Satpathy said as the country is celebrating the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of Independence, the platinum jubilee of the Dhanuyatra will also be held this year. “We decided the date during a preparatory meeting to make all the arrangements on time as the festival will be celebrated in a grand scale this year. In the upcoming meetings, decisions regarding the budget, artistes, stage etc. will be taken,” he said.

Dhanuyatra, which started during 1947-48 at the time of India’s Independence is considered the largest open-air theatre in the world. Spread over five square km, the entire town of Bargarh turns into a stage for the yatra. The town becomes Mathura under demon king Kansa’s rule, while the ‘Balya Leela’ of Krishna take place at Ambapali on the other side of the Jeera river in the town, which transforms into Gopapura.