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Dhanu Yatra relating to the episode of Lord Krishna's visit
to Mathura to witness the ceremony of 'Bow' organised by 'Kansa' as
described in the "Bhagawat Purana" is colourfully observed at
Baragarh in Sambalpur district. The entire
topography of Baragarh is rendered into the elements of Drama. The town of
Baragarh becomes Mathura, the river Jira becomes Yamuna and the village
'Amapalli' on the other bank of the river becomes 'Gopa'.
Time
For The Festivity
Different acts of the Puranic description are performed at their right
places and the spectators move from place to place with the actors to
seethe performances. The drama and reality get inextricably fused. The
festival continues for 7 to 11 days preceding 'Pausa Purnima', the
full-moon day of 'Pausa', which falls in December-January every year. The
performances are held from 3 P.M. to 9 P.M., which are followed by
entertainment programmes during the whole night.