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A recent Jatra performance in Odisha shocked audiences when an actor killed a live pig on stage, which sparked outrage among animal rights activists and led to legal action.
Initially focused on devotional and mythological themes, Jatra has evolved to include modern stunts, acrobatics, and even controversial acts to match changing audience tastes.
Jatra
Jatra is a form of folk theatre that originated in the 16th century, primarily in Odisha and West Bengal, blending music, dance, and mythology.
The word jatra means journey or going.
The origin of jatra intrinsically a musical theatre form, is traditionally credited to the rise of Sri Chaitanya's Bhakti movement
Jatras are usually epic four-hour-long plays, preceded by a musical concert often lasting an hour, used to attract audiences.
The performance, which lasted through the night in 1507 AD., has been described in Chaitanya Bhagavata, Chaitanya's hagiography by a disciple Vrindavana Dasa Thakura
Jatra plays are usually performed on stages that are open on all sides in open-air arenas.
The stage often had minimal or no furniture or props
The cast is predominantly male, whose members also play the female parts, though since the 19th century, female actors started joining the cast.
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