Bargarh’s Dhanu Jatra Inaugurated with Grand Celebrations

Bhubaneswar: The world-renowned Dhanu Jatra festival in Odisha’s Bargarh town was inaugurated today with much fanfare. The event was officially launched by Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit, in the presence of local MLA Ashwini Kumar Sarangi and other dignitaries.

Recognized as the largest open-air theatre in the world, the annual festival will run until January 13. Celebrated across an 8-km radius of Bargarh municipality and nearby areas, the event showcases the epic tale of ‘Mathura Vijay,’ which portrays the triumph of Lord Krishna over his uncle and the demon king Kansa.

The entire town is transformed into Mathura, while the nearby Ambapali village is reimagined as Gopapura for the open-air theatrical performances. The Jeera River, close to Bargarh, is symbolically considered the Yamuna during the festival. Locals actively participate by portraying the subjects of the demon king Kansa, and numerous episodes from Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram’s childhood are enacted throughout the 11-day celebration.

Dhanu Jatra was first organized in 1947 to mark India’s independence, and it has been a significant cultural event for the people of Bargarh since then.

In a bid to elevate the festival’s stature, the state government has increased financial support for Bargarh Dhanu Jatra to ₹1 crore from the earlier ₹10 lakh. Additionally, ₹50 lakh has been allocated for promoting and live broadcasting the event. The government will also provide ₹10,000 honorariums to 170 prominent artists involved in the festival.

For the first time, the mega event will be live-streamed on LED screens across major cities, including the capital city of Bhubaneswar. Moreover, the National School of Drama (NSD) will produce a comprehensive documentary on the festival.

In a major step towards global recognition, the government plans to form an expert committee to apply for UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ status for Dhanu Jatra.