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File Orissa's
Dhanu Yatra brings Lord Krishna and evil Kansa alive
by Sarada Lahangir Bargarh:
With the start of New Year, Orissa's Bargarh town transforms itself into a
place existing in the mythological world of Lord Krishna for eleven days. It happens
as part of the centuries old "Dhanu Yatra" festival, when residents turn this
place into an open-air theatre, described to be world's largest. Residents of
Bargarh town get together to participate in the celebration of Dhanu or, the bow
festival here. The event is marked to celebrate the triumph of Lord Krishna over
his tyrant maternal uncle "Kansa", the Mathura King, who imprisoned his parents
to prevent His birth as stated in Hindu scriptures. Almost every villager in Bargarh
town acts as an artist and the entire village gets turned into a stage. This year
also Bargah town turned like the epic town Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna,
for eleven-day period (Jan.1 to 11) of this annual festival. Watching the enactment
of drama here is a charm of its kind. Though the hero of the enacted drama is
Lord Krishna, it is the evil "Kansa", Krishna's maternal uncle, whose characterization
dominates the festival here. The town's million-odd people literally live back
in time, dressing up in styles dating back to the mythological times during this
period. Different places, settlements and even rivers in Bargah are addressed
by classical names adopted from Krishna's epic tale, the Mahabharata. The festival
had begun with enactment of the marriage of Vasudev and Devaki, followed by the
birth of Krishna. It concluded with the death of King Kansa. People feel drawn
maximum when as part of the enactment King Kansa goes round the city every day,
the people regardless of their stature are seen bowing before him. "During the
11-day festival, the entire Bargah town is dancing like single stage. Hurdreds
of thousands of people gathered from within the State and outside to witness such
a yatra. Even some foreigners have visited and are enjoying to the full," said
Suresh Prasadpadh, District Collector in Bargah town. District administration
took a lot of steps to arrange all kinds of amenities to the pilgrims and visitors
who arrived here to attend the festivities this year from different parts of the
country. For visitors arriving here from different parts of the country and abroad
it was a special experience enjoying such an enactment at a such a large scale.
"We are happy to be in Bargadh. We came here specifically because we heard of
this marvelous festival that happens only once in a year. We love the art of the
Indian culture," Marin, a visitor from California, the United States. It is argued
that Dhanu Yatra festival originally started between 16 to 18 century. Initially,
the rural people of Bargah area, after harvesting, engaged in merry making. As
a part of celebrations, they enacted Krishna Leela in a small way, which took
a shape of drama over the years.
-Jan 11, 2009
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