Balangir based cultural organisation “Bhumika” to host Mathkhai Mahotsav, from January 23 to 27.

Courtesy:- The Telegraph

Balangir-based cultural organisation Bhumika is all set to host Mathkhai Mahotsav, a multilingual theatre festival from January 23 to 27.

The five-day festival will showcase some of the best plays from across the country. Two Hindi and one Marathi play will be part of the fare.

President of the organising committee of the festival, Chitta Ranjan Dash said apart from staging plays from other states, the organisation would try to revive rural theatre, which was dying fast.

“This time we are focusing on the revival of rural theatre. Apart from the plays that will be staged every evening, rural artistes will also be provided the platform to stage their plays,” Dash said. The theatre festival will open with Koshali play Ukhi, written by Vinod Pasayat and directed by Suresh Chandra Sahu.

Pendish theatre group from New Delhi will stage Hindi play Sarkari Feminism written by Anuradha Marwa and directed by Sanjaya Kumar on January 24. On January 25, Marathi play Ajantha written and directed by Milind Inamdar will be staged by Srujan theatre group of Mumbai. On the fourth day of the festival Oriya play Chaitu will be staged by Pyayas theatre group of Rourkela. Nirman Kalamanch of Patna will stage Hari Shankar written by Srikant Kishore and directed by Sanjaya Upadhyaya.

Rural artistes will mostly perform mythological plays that are dying. They will perform plays such as Karna Badha, Laxmi Purana, Sita Chori and Ushabati Harana. On the opening day of the festival, the Natyajyoti flame will be taken out in a procession from the Mathkhai hill near Balangir. “The festival is named after Mathkhai hill as it symbolises the rich heritage of Balangir,” said Byasadev Nanda, secretary of Bhumika.