CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the Kandhamal district administration to ensure Danda Yatra is not performed on National Highway No. 59 at Baliguda.
Danda Yatra area also known as Danda Nacha is a tribal dance festival held in Baliguda area during the Chaitra month every year from April 1 to 14.
The single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi issued the direction on Saturday while disposing of a petition seeking intervention against inaction of the administration to stop Danda Yatra on NH 59 at Baliguda.
Chitta Ranjan Nayak, a resident of the region filed the petition. Advocate Sujata Jena appearing on Nayak’s behalf submitted that Danda Yatra has been performed for the last 100 years in the Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.
In the yatra, the deities of different villages are brought to one place. In each village, a Danda committee is constituted to perform the Danda Yatra. Every year it is performed from April 1 to 14. The devotees who are interested in participating keep fasting for about 14 days and in between, several other rituals are also being performed.
She stated that in the Baliguda block, about 20 Danda committees are there, of which 13 are authorised to perform their Danda on different dates. There is a likelihood of a congregation about 30,000 people on the said road.
She submitted that as per prevailing customs, there is custom of rolling of the devotees on bare body on the road, which is likely to cause huge physical damage due to scorching heat.
Further, the National Highway is a pitch road. If a person will roll without having any cloth on the upper part of the body, it may create health hazards. The rolling of the devotees on the National Highway will also create inconvenience for the motorists and people plying on the road, she submitted.
Taking note of it, Justice Panigrahi ordered, “In view of all the apprehension of the petitioner, this court is of the view that the district collector (Kandhamal), sub-collector, Baliguda and the superintendent of police (Kandhamal) shall take appropriate step to dissuade the devotees not to roll on the pitch road, rather, they can perform their customary rolling on any bylane or sub-lane or adjacent to the National Highway.”
Justice Panigrahi further ordered, “The aforesaid officers shall also ensure that the National Highway is not blocked nor any kind of inconvenience is caused to the motorists and common men plying on the road. The above directions passed by this court shall be strictly adhered to without any sort of dilution.”