Mathuranagari: Dhanuyatra, the largest open-air theatre in the world, kicked off to a glittering start at the Hatapada podium here Monday.
Collector Anjan Kumar Manik inaugurated the festival by lighting the traditional lamp and cutting the ribbon at the podium at Hatapada where King Kansa will hold his court.
Prior to this, artistes and locals took out a colourful procession to Hatapada podium after priests performed some rituals at Samaleshwari temple in the town.
Inaugurating the festival, collector Manik said Dhanuyatra has earned a name for Bargarh in the world and has become a hub of cultural exchange.
Bargarh will now be called Mathuranagari while King Kansa will rule the region after the inauguration of the mega festival. During the festival, artistes will enact various mythological characters like King kansa, his father Ugrasen, sister Devaki, brother-in-law Basudev and Lord Krishna.
During the inauguration, residents and guests on the dais observed a two minute silence for the departed soul of former Dhanuyatra director Buddhadev Pradhan and theatre artistes Bibhuti Bhusan Padhi and Ganesh Pradhan. SP B Jugal Kishore, Sureshwar Satapathy, convener of Dhanuyatra Mahotsav committee , Rajendra Prasad Singh, convener of Raj Darvar committee, ADM Bijay Kumar Rath and Ashok Behera, Dhanuyatra director were present on the occasion. PNN
