Dhanu Yatra Festival.
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The largest open-air theatre festival, the “Dhanu Yatra,” began in Odisha at Bargarh.
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Every year, the open-air theater festival known as Dhanu Yatra lasts for eleven days.
| YEAR | Month | DATE |
| 2024 | January | 15-25 |
| 2025 | January | 5-15 |
Dhanu Yatra Festival 2024,2025
About Dhanu Yatra:
Dhanu Yatra is an annual open-air theatre festival that lasts for eleven days. The festival covers more than 5 square kilometers and includes a village and a town in between.
History:
Almost every villager has a part to play during the festival. The plays at the festival begin with Kansa, furious about his sister Devaki’s marriage to Vasudev, dethroning Mathura’s Emperor Ugrasen.
The demon king Kansa dies and the throne is returned to Ugrasen at the festival’s conclusion.
Origin of Dhanu yatra:
Dhanu Yatra was started right after India gained its independence in 1947-1948, during the harvest season, to show how happy people were. Since then, it is carried out annually at the conclusion of the paddy harvest.
Unique feature of dhanu yatra:
- Bargarh town and the surrounding areas transform into Kansa’s kingdom during the festival, also known as “The Mathura Nagari.”
- Near Bargarh, the river Jeera becomes the river Jamuna, and the river “Ambapali” on the other side of the river becomes the river “Gopapura.”
- The Dhanu Yatra’s main attraction is King Kansa, and during the festival, the people of Bargarh follow King Kansa’s orders.