Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has increased its aid for Dhanu Yatra in Bargarh in 2025 from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in a post in his official handle on X on Saturday, announced several steps being taken by the state government to promote and popularise the Dhanu Ytara, which is claimed to be the world’s biggest open air theatre.
Besides raising the government aid, the chief minister announced that each of 170 artists participating in the Dhanu Ytara would be paid honorarium of Rs 10,000. For the first time, the Yatra would be telecast live in other areas of the state. The government would fix LED TVs at public places of those areas from its budget, he added.
The government would also take steps to create a dedicated website for the Dhanu Yatra. Besides, an initiative would be made to get Unesco Heritage status for the theatre, he added.
Earlier, the chief minister had promised the people of Bargarh that he would attend the Dhanu Yatra this time. “I always wanted to take a break from my busy political life and witness the famous Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh,” he said, adding that this time he would definitely come to Bargarh to witness the mega event.