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Celebration time for Badakusasthali

BERHAMPUR: Every alternate year the Badakusasthali village in Ganjam district celebrates Holi during a week- long festival of folk dance and theatre. The celebrations began in the village on Thursday.

The tradition has been continuing at the village for the past 120 years. Badakusasthali is a village well-known for its cultural heritage throughout the country. Great folk dance guru Bhagaban Sahu hailed from this village.

The Ranapa, Jodi Sankha, Bagha Natcha, Chadheya Nata and Bagha Nacha troupes of the village perform throughout the world.

But every alternate year the inhabitants of this village celebrate a week-long Holi festival in the village by playing host to folk dance and folk theatre groups of other areas. The celebrations start from the day preceding ‘Dola Purnima’. Stages are erected in front of the small Radha Krishna temple in the village. The deities come out of their temple at night to celebrate Holi. Throughout the nights, the folk performers display their skills.

According to Bighneswar Sahu, president of the Radhakanta Jatra Committee, the organiser of the festival, they provide special patronage to ‘Prahlad Natak’, a major folk theatre form of Ganjam district.

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