Bargarh that turns Mathura and Gopapura during the most popular annual festival DhanuYatra is all set for the 11-day event which will start from December 26.
As per tradition, the festival begins with installation of Subhastamaba in Hatpara on the fifth day (Panchami) of Margasira. For that, the residents of Bargarh town and the yatra committee members performed a puja in the Samaleswari temple, the presiding deity of the town, on Wednesday evening. While Bargarh Collector Anjan Kumar Manik performed the puja as the chairman of the yatra committee, all the members and artists of the yatra, including the main attraction, Maharaj Kansa, was present.
A cultural procession with dhol, madal, sanchar, sankirtan and many other events began from the Samaleswari temple and reached the Dhanu Yatra venue at Hatapara after crossing the main roads of the town. The place witnessed crowds throughout.
Thousands of people witnessed the cultural extravaganza and also the beginning of the most awaited yatra of Bargarh. Rajpurohit Siba Shankar Dash performed the puja with worship of Astakala Naga.
“With installation of the Subhastamba and the Dhwja Puja, the process of the world famous Dhanu Yatra, treated to the biggest open air theatre, has virtually begun,” informed the Collector of Bargarh who is the chairman of the yatra committee. “We will make every effort to the make the yatra more attractive this time and thereby pull more visitors and tourists to Bargarh,” he said.
Sureswar Satapathy, who is the convenor of the Yatra, said that the festival is unique and unmatchable throughout the world. “We are sure that more people will throng Bargarh this year to see the inimitable yatra,” Satapathy said.