Bhubaneswar: Aside from raising the financial aid for the Dhanu Yatra, the largest open air theatre in the world, from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, the Odisha government on Sunday sanctioned an additional Rs 50 lakh for the annual event organised in Bargarh.
Informing about the government’s decision to the media in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Culture Minister Surjyabanshi Suraj outlined the government’s measures to promote the Dhanu Yatra at the national and international level.
The next Dhanu Jatra will be held in Bargarh from January 3 to 13 and it will showcase Odisha’s rich cultural heritage and tradition. The Odisha government is taking steps to elevate the festival for international recognition, Surjyabanshi Suraj said today.
He said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Saturday that the government aid for the Yatra had been raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. To ensure the success of the festival, an additional Rs 50 lakh has been sanctioned for activities such as live broadcast, creation of a dedicated website for the festival, he added.
For the first time, the event will be live-streamed across major locations in Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, using LED screens. Around 170 participating artists will receive a token honorarium of Rs 10,000 each. In addition, the National School of Drama (NSD) will produce a documentary on Dhanu Yatra to showcase its cultural significance.
“A dedicated expert committee will be constituted to work for obtaining UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for Dhanu Yatra. The government is also launching a dedicated website that will provide comprehensive information about the festival, including its history, venues and real-time GPS-enabled navigation for visitors,” he said.
