Bargarh: The famed ‘Dhanu Yatra’, known to be the world’s largest open-air theatre, turns 75 this year and one of its kind contest is being keenly fought for the role of the demon king Kansa of Mahabharata as 57 actors have applied for it.
Gopal Sahoo, an Odisha police officer who played the role of the tyrannical maternal uncle of Lord Krishna for as many as 23 years, bows out this year as he turns 60.
A man of huge physique and a stentorian voice, he is famous across the state for his acting in ‘Dhanu Yatra’.
Two other actors in the festival too have reached the age of superannuation and will be replaced, the Dhanu Yatra Mahotsav Committee said.
There are aspirants for other roles too in the festival. In fact, a record 223 actors are vying for roles in the 11-day festival that is set to begin on December 27 after a gap of two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
The ‘Dhanu Yatra’, which marks the victory of good over evil, came into existence in this west Odisha town in 1947-48 to celebrate the country’s Independence and is held annually since then.
Among the applicants this time, 22 have applied to play the role of Mahamantri Vidur, four for Satyaki, 17 for Akrura, 14 for Lord Narada, seven for Ugrasen, the father of King Kansa, eight for the role of Devaki, Lord Krishna’s biological mother, and 17 for his father Vasudev.
The selection of the actor for playing King Kansa will be held on November 10, while those for the other roles will be held on that day and also on November 7 and 9, said Mirdha Toppo, the additional district magistrate of Bargarh.
The artistes will be selected by a jury on the basis of their demo performance at the Town Hall here.
The importance of the role of King Kansa in ‘Dhanu Yatra’ is that during its duration of 11 days he rules the town, which then is transformed into his capital Mathura and its residents become his obedient subjects.
For an actor, the lure of a role in ‘Dhanu Yatra’ is due to its popularity in the state and among tourists and the opulence of the programme.
Prabhas Tripathi, an artiste, said the reason for his interest for a role in ‘Dhanu Yatra’ is because it provides “a chance to act in the open theatre”.
“Though I do not have much experience, I hope that I get a role,” he said.
The plays in ‘Dhanu Yatra’ festival start with the dethroning of Emperor Ugrasen of Mathura by the angry Prince Kansa over the marriage of his sister Devaki with Vasudev and end with the death of Kansa and restoration of the throne to Ugrasen.
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There is, however, no written script. The entire drama is based on ‘Harivamsa Purana’ which chronicles the early life of Lord Krishna.
As Bargarh becomes King Kansa’s Mathura, Amapali, located about eight km away, becomes Gopapura, where Lord Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. The Jeera river which flows between the two places becomes the Yamuna river.
The rule of Kansa, his death and the exploits of Lord Krishna are enacted in 14 places across the area during the 11 days of the open-air festival.
Politicians and government officers get sucked into the show as the rule of King Kansa holds sway during the duration of ‘Dhanu Yatra’.
Once in the early 1990s, Kansa had summoned the then chief minister Biju Patnaik to present himself at his durbar. Patnaik had sportingly flown down from Bhubaneswar in a chopper to Bargarh to appear before the ‘king’ and to discuss the ‘issues of the kingdom’.
Once Kansa had ordered the district police to ensure that all two-wheeler riders wear helmets, which was carried out by the force during the festival.
No offence is taken and no one holds a grudge for these, said a town resident. “Many local problems get resolved during the festival due to the intervention of the tyrannical King Kansa,” he said.
‘Dhanu Yatra’ has been mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records too. The department of culture of the Centre accorded the national festival status to it in November 2014.
PTI