Repertory Of The Danda Nata

The most popular and and the most old dance Ancient Kalinga Kingdom has gifted to the world, This is the Danda Nata, the dance festival of people, In this season of Danda Nata monsoon of music flows With victorious sound of the drum known as Dhola And the sweet tune of traditional Mahuri, Devotees who participate in this festival are Known as Bhoktas or Danduas and all are males Passing through a process of purification, They act, sing and dance as per the playing of Dhola, Metaphoric and humorous songs they sing to motivate, Audience gets glimpse of golden motivation When bhoktas at midday and midnightperform dance After having only one meal at night And maintaining chastity for this period of austerity, In the month of Chaitra at least for 21,18 or 13 days Chaitra falls in between March and April every year, Worshiping Supreme Lord as per their devotion and trust, They celebrate a purification festival Practicing vegan lifestyle in this period, They achieve a motivational goal of life For self and others they bring out this ceremony! During the day of Chaitra Sankranti They celebrate their final festival is Meru Parba, Following the traditional festival and fasting, The Danda Nata is still alive and popular! At present lots of changes have come, At night opera is performed as per public interest, Melodious night attracts a huge gathering around, Not only modern opera as per choice of people But also ancient epics are performed in repertory, Danda Nata is the first choice of people Not only of Ganjam district but also of whole Odisha, During Chaitra every street of the state dances Witnessing huge crowd around the celebration, The Danda Nata allows all to awaken for joy! The City of Heart is also known as Silk City, This City of Brahmapur is continuously awakened, Due to Danda Nata gathering immense joy The City is not sleeping whole day and night Performance of epic story of The Ramayanais going on Artists of Aladigada are alert in stage performance With colourful clothing and prestigious light, They are singing and dancing and giving joy, Audience is hugely crowded around the stage Beside this people's highway, the Janpath of Brahmapur In between Kamapalli and Court-Peta Squares, The Nata performed for whole night is all right This is now graced by newly risen sun, Sun-rays aregently touching the flags of Danda Nata, A victorious day is declared by new child sun From last day's sunset to next first sunrise of today Still the festival is going on in this street And in many other streets of this city, Passengers of morning buses arrived into the city The are too eagerly watching for a while Without missing a moment of joy of the Danda Nata, When the buses are passing slowly In the opposite parallel street, All are watching this beauty of graceful sunrise Over this ceremonial street, The golden sky is smiling very tenderly, Sun has brought up grace of God for all devotees! © Kumarmani Mahakul,08 April 2019. All rights reserved.