Danda Nata

Understand

Where Danda Nata comes from

Danda Nata (also written Danda Jatra / Danda Yatra) is one of the oldest and most important dance-festivals of Odisha, particularly of the Ganjam, Kandhamal, Dhenkanal and Angul districts — the heartland of the ancient Kalinga empire. The festival runs for 13, 18 or 21 days in the month of Chaitra, with the participants (called Danduas or Bhoktas) living in strict discipline — fasting, abstaining from fish and meat, and avoiding cohabitation — in honour of Lord Shiva and goddess Kali. The festival is the modern continuation of the ancient Chaitra Yatra of the Kalinga empire, which climaxed at the Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha, the patron goddess of the Kalinga rulers. Today Danda Nata remains one of the most living-devotion traditions of Odisha, blending tribal dance roots with classical Odissi influences over centuries of practice.

How it's practiced

Danda Nata is performed exclusively by groups of male devotees (the Danduas / Bhoktas) who live as a community for the duration of the festival — 13, 18 or 21 days — under the spiritual leadership of a leader. The Danduas dance in temples and village squares, with each dance step and song blending tribal and classical Odissi elements. Dance-choreography is accompanied by devotional songs, with the accompaniment being the Odissi-style Mardala drum, the pair of cymbals and the harmonium. Performances build in devotion through the days of the festival, with the climactic dance held in honour of Kali on the final day. Costume is the simple dhoti and the saffron waist-cloth of the devout male participant, often with the tilak marking of Shaiva devotion.