Sambalpur: The Sambalpuri Dhanu Yatra, now in its third year, will be held from January 18 to 22, organisers said. The five-day festival will once again resonate with the thunderous laughter of Kansa as Gangadhar Mandap comes alive with performances by local artistes. Culture lovers are expected to be enthralled by Sambalpuri dialogues, traditional dances and folk songs presented during the festival. Organising committee president Sanjay Babu said efforts are being made to make this year’s event more attractive and grander than previous editions.
Addressing a news conference at the local Sambadika Bhavan, he said preparations have reached the final stage. As in previous years, Gangadhar Mandap has been transformed into Mathura Nagari with Kansa’s royal court, while Chaunrpur on the other side of the Mahanadi, has been decorated as Gopapur. Special emphasis is being laid on improving the artistic finesse of the performances, he said.
Babu added that the organisers have made a concerted effort to give the entire production a distinct Sambalpuri flavour from dialogues and stage design to costumes, using the Sambalpuri language throughout the enactments. Committee secretary Guna Ranjan Salima, executive president Kamal Lochan Panda, vice president Shankar Behera, directors Bablu Bag and Prashant Moharana, joint secretary Lilima Nayak, cultural secretary Krushnachandra Bag, and actor Phanindra Panda, who plays the role of Kansa, were present at the news conference
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