Bargarh: COVID-19 pandemic has played spoilsport for organisation of the world-famous open-air theatre Dhanu Yatra. Even though the mega event was scheduled to be held from January 18, 2021, it has now been cancelled owing to COVID-19 situation.
The decision to cancel the 72nd Dhanu Yatra in 2021 was taken at the Dhanu Yatra Core Committee meeting held at District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) conference hall Sunday. The meeting was chaired by district collector Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan, who is also the chairman of Dhanu Yatra Festival Committee.
The festival is synonymous with demon king Kansa. The festival’s main attraction is King Kansa who sitting on the back of a caparisoned elephant moves around the town. During the 11-day-long festival, the town of Bargarh turns into Mathura Nagar, the kingdom of Kansa and Ambapali — on the outskirts — gets decorated and christened as Gopapur while the Jeera river which flows between Bargarh and Ambapali is called the Yamuna.
In fact, the plot of the festival is based on mythological story of Lord Krishna killing his uncle Kansa. It begins with Kansa dethroning Ugrasena and ends with the death of Kansa and the coronation of Ugrasena as the king.
During the festival, the entire town is bedecked with festoons of colourful papers, flowers and lights. It is the occasion when people of this district working outside return to their families to enjoy the festival with their near and dear ones. Denizens of Bargarh town and thousands others across Odisha this year will have to give the festival a miss amid fears of the second wave of COVID-19.
PNN