Khariar town has been transformed into Mathura Nagari with King Kansa’s Sabha as Dhanu Yatra, the festival of bow, is underway here. As everyone knows, Dhanu Yatra is an open air theatrical performance celebrated every year in Bargarh since decades. This year for the first time, a group of enthusiastic people of Khariar have taken an initiative in organising the 11- day long festival at Khariar.
The celebration at Khariar is significant because the small town has preserved a number of such traditions and cultures of yesteryears. Celebration of Baliyatra, Rahasa (Rasalila), performance of folk dance and drama are some of them.
Madan Mohan Pradhan of Budula village of Bargarh district is playing the role of Kansa. “I am playing Kansa for last three years and it makes me feel good. I get respect here; this is the only reason I am deeply involved in this role,” said Pradhan. Madan has already performed in more than 15 villages of Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi districts and some villages of Chhatishgarh in last three years. When he roars in laughter and delivers dialogues uninterruptedly, applause of audience knows no bounds.
The performance becomes live when Maharaj Kansa summons different dignitaries of the town and asks them about their duties and responsibilities. He does not spare even the politicians.
“What have you done for giving shelter to houseless personsIJ Why the farmers are committing suicide in large numbersIJ Are you not responsible for all these unwanted things,” he asks to those who say that they are politicians or social workers. Sometimes the situation becomes embracing, when the guests do not know the answer and fumble. The audience takes a lot of pleasure from this question- answer sessions and sometimes the confused guests take clue from the prompting of the audience.
Friday was the ninth day of the celebration and many popular figures of Khariar town like Shrikanta Chatterjee, Nataraj Mahapatra, Adhiraj Panigrahi, lambodar Nial, Ajit Panda, Rameswar Agrawal and Tapan Dash etc, were invited to the Darbar of Kansa in last nine days.
Magician Dushmanata Raut was summoned to the Darbar to perform his trick and to entertain the king as well as the subjects of Mathura. Several people of prominence have already faced the love and wrath of Kansa in last nine days.
He already made the dignitaries as well as the common citizens of Khariar responsible for not keeping the town clean. “Make the Swachha Bharat Mission successful, make toilets for every household,” he ordered.
The Dhanu Yatra organising committee headed by Pradip Deo and Deb Deb Singh Deo has taken much efforts to make the celebration a successful one.