BERHAMPUR : The festive celebration of hard penance, `Danda Nata' has engulfed the city and Ganjam district.

This 21-day long festival would end on the day of Mahavishuv Sankranti. Dressed in yellow or orange attire, hundreds of troupes of `Danduas' or Bhoktas, are now moving around the city and villages of the district. With the sound of drums, they look like a traditional army in progress.

They perform around 21 days of penance during Chaitra to satisfy the mother goddess. Even small children of 12 years like Rabindra Dakua become part of this hard penance at the wish of their parents. A Dandua has to leave his home, remain celibate, and inflict upon himself self-induced hardship during the period. Danduas get collected under a Pata Bhokta. Their troupes move around under him.

Pata bhokta

They eat a single meal in a day comprising rice and dal, that too at midnight. They have to stop eating if they hear any sound of bird or animal.

During the whole day they perform hard rituals as part of the penance under the Pata bhokta. Under the scorching sun they perform Dhuli Danda, which includes symbolic building of temples, digging ponds, agricultural works etc. After that they have to perform rituals standing in the waters of a pond for hours together, which is called Pani Danda.

At night they dance with fire in their hand, which is called Agni Danda. Households and localities invite these Danda Nata troupes to perform Danda Nata in their area as worship to the mother goddess.

Danduas are asked not to sleep at night. Cultural programs are organised to keep them awake.

Motorists' nightmare

Danda Nata also brings in hardship for the city dwellers. Usually Danda Nata troupes perform in the middle of the major roads during the day blocking traffic.

At night at the same spot, makeshift stages are erected for entertainment programs, once more blocking the roads. People of the city have accepted this tradition of uncalled road blockades by Danda Nata without any remorse saying why interfere with the divine when one can take a longer route to home.

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