*image showing Jagannath temple in Ranchi

While many employees and officers of the state government remained confined to their homes, hundreds and thousands of tribals walked and reached Lord Jagannath temple to take part in the annual festival-rath yatra.

The employees and officers enjoyed the weekend as the state government had declared holiday. The Rath yatra enthralled the visitors, mostly from rural areas of the state, by showcasing recitals performed by tribal artists.An identical event in mega form took place in Puri of Odisha and north-eastern states.

The evening aimed to promote the art and culture of the tribal people. Interestingly, Jagannath culture has its roots in tribal culture. Tribal dances from Odisha such as Singhari dance from Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi and Dhap dance from Sambalpur weaved magic.

The visitors, who had never even heard about the vibrant dance forms, appeared to be enjoying them under the clouded sky in Ranchi.“I came to Jagannath temple in advance to witness the rath yatra. A friend from Odisha told me that a music and dance programme was taking place and so I accompanied him. Now, I have an additional memory to share with my family and friends,” said Manish Yadav, a businessman from Delhi.

While dance forms of Odisha were well appreciated, the cynosure of the evening was the tribal dance forms from the northeast.Most roads across Dhurva and Doranda were packed with visitors rushing to Jagannath temple."The Mela this year is very well organised by the state administration.Even the police were cooperative", said Dinesh Suri,a farmer.

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