Bhubaneswar: Handlooms and Textiles Minister Rita Sahu had to face the music for uttering ‘Jay Jagannath’ at the royal palace of demon King Kansa on the fifth day of world famous Bargarh Dhanu Yatra.
The tyrannical King Kansa imposed fine of 70 lakh gold coins on the minister for uttering Jay Jagannath, which is another incarnation of lord Krishna.
Rita Sahu, also the Bijepur MLA, was invited as the chief guest at the Raj Darbar on the fifth day of the biggest open air theatre.
While delivering her speech on the stage, she pronounced “Jay Jagannath, which irked the Mathura king. Because Krushna’s other name is Jagannath. And Krishna is Kansa’s enemy.
The minister tendered apology to the king for saying Jay Jagannath in Kansa’s court. Despite apology, the King punished her with a fine of 70 lakh gold coins.
The demon king Kansa who rules Bargarh-turned-Mathura, his ancient kingdom, during the annual theatrical extravaganza, summons mighty personalities to his court and punishes for their wrong doing.
Late Biju Patnaik was also not spared in the process. Patnaik had also once flew to Mathura ( Bargarh) following the summon of King Kansa.
Kansa re-enacts the story of the mythological tyrant who was finally slain at the hands of his nephew Lord Krushna.
While Bargarh town itself becomes the city of Mathura, the Jeera river symbolises Yamuna during the 11-day yatra, arguably world’s biggest open-air drama of the world.
Ambapali, located on the other bank of Jeera, turns into Gopapura where Krishna is brought up.
