There is no excuse for offence in Kansa Maharaja’s Kingdom. Be it the district Collector or the SP or a layman, everyone has to obey Kansa even as the man who dons the attire of Kansa and utters words in a royal style like the mythical king is just an ordinary person.
This is the specialty of the Bragarh Dhanu Yatra which has begun here on January 11 and will continue till January 21. The festival has lent a religious aura to the whole of the town.
The fun and frolic goes on in the biggest open air theater of the world nonstop for the whole length of the yatra speaking volumes as to how much tradition bound the denizens here are.
Where the Kansa Maharaja moves on the elephant’s back, it turns into a pandal. It could be an open market, a jail or the national highway.
The Maharaja takes stock of the situation of his kingdom by moving from place to place. From a resplendent pandal in the vening, the Maharaja asks the district officials to ensure smooth functioning of his kingdom and directs them to solve the problems of the residents.
The unique festival is celebrated after the harvesting season. The tired farmers get a lot of pleasure during the event. It is a rich and vibrant source of entertainment for the people of the locality and all others who visit the town.
The play enacted during the festival comprises three mythological episodes Krishna Leela, Mathura Bijaya and Kansa Baddha.
It is believed that the Dhanu Yatra in its present form started in 1948. During the post-Independence period, the performance was charged with a nationalistic fervor. Kansa symbolized the imperialist British Government of its way out and Lord Krishna stood for the nationalistic aspiration of the people.