Danda Yatra, celebrated under the roasting Chaitra heat, is a unique blend of dance, theatre, and music that is most popular across Odisha, a narrative by Dr Sanjeeta Nayak

As the month of Chaitra approaches, Mangulu Pradhan, who is into his late fifties, prepares himself for the upcoming travail. This native of Badakodanda village, otherwise, employed as a driver in Odisha forest department, is going to live a severe ascetic life for a fortnight as a Bhokta, also called Dandua in the famous Danda Yatra celebrated every year in the month of Chaitra. It would be his 28th year as a Bhokta in this festival of self punishment held at Galleri every year from the time no one has kept any record.
As one of the most ancient folk act festival Danda Yatra or Danda Nata is a unique blend of severe penance, music, dance and theatre that is quite popular in Odisha, performed across Ganjam and other districts with local twists added to the main ritual which is inviting and going through pain on self through severe austerity and penance.
There are many variations of tale on the origin of this ritual which is basically appeasement of Shiva and Shakti to fulfil a personal wish as well as for the universal welfare. One legend, according to Surendra Satapathy, a renowned priest associated with this festival in Brahmapur about the origin of going through penance is that a seer named Tandala was a disciple of seer Durvasa. He was teaching 13 sons of Kubera. These students became mischievous. They misbehaved, made fun of Tandala who, in turn, cursed them. When approached for forgiveness, he prescribed the rituals of immense austerity which formed the basis of related to Danda yatra that means severe penance. Another story about this yatra is that Shiva was teaching dance to Ganesh. In the process, he kicked the stage on which he was teaching that made a sound like the word Dan. A piece of brass material broke off the chain Lord Shiva wore around his ankle and hit a Mardala, which is a percussion instrument, creating the sound Da, Those two sounds put together formed the word Danda that came to be associated with dance.
The word Danda means a bamboo-staff, punishment, and also open space in front of a house, or the road. The present form of danda yatra bears all four components. Danduas use Bamboo-staff, inflict self-punishment, and perform on the open space of a house on road.
This festival is said to be very ancient dating back to the time of Kalinga kingdom. Kalinga emperor used to organize Chaitra festival in honour of his Istha devi, Taratarini in whose place danduas from across the kingdom gathered and performed. This ancient festival survives to this day, now localized to villages and towns.
Presently, 13 danduas or Bhoktas form the core group comprising Pata bhokta, danduas, binakaara or traditional clarinet player, bearer of champabara made of bamboo, and  one holding the jhuna pot. Pata Bhoktas are those who have taken the vow of Brahmacharya for the whole life and remain celibate. Others join this group after taking a vow with a wish. However, they are not privy to witness or participate in few secret rituals. The event is organized for a period of 13 or 18 or 21 days culminating on the day called as Meru or Maasanta. 
Before the day of the yatra, all bhoktas get together at the local designated Shiva temple and take the vow of severe penance transforming themselves in to vanaprastha ascetics for the duration of the Yatra. After purification rituals and consecration with elaborate arrangements including Yagna (fire ceremony), adorning ash from the fire ritual on forehead and wearing a thread around their neck, the bhoktas walk out..
They start living on the open air, passing night near a Shiva or Shakti temple, or in a mango orchard, or at the cremation ground, or simply on an open field. They eat just one meal in the middle of the night after elaborate rituals. They do not wear shoes, do not drink water throughout the day and live off two pieces of clothes, move from place to place being invited by house holders of different villages where they perform in the night.
The group perform three acts in a day, dhuli danda, pani danda and agni danda. In the middle of the day under the scorching sun when the dust is on fire, the bhoktas perform dhuli (dust) danda. They roll over the hot ground, perform different acts to the beating of drums and playing of Mahuri (traditional clarinet) until around 5 pm. This act is followed by pani danda which means to get into a water source like pond and perform acts. On this ritual, all bhoktas collect sand from the pond and built a sand shiva linga and a sand temple. Rituals are performed in honour of the shiva linga by offering pancha upachar like flower, sandal paste, smoking fragrance, fire and different fruits, ghee, milk and perforated rice. These food items are collected and a drink locally called as pana is prepared, which then is taken by the bhoktas after they reach the designated place of their stay for the day. That is the only drink they take in a day.  From the evening alati, fire is taken to light the make shift hearth where the food get cooked- just the rice and lentil with brinjal and ghee thrown into it, devoid of any condiments. Then follows the Agni (Fire) danda. Finally, in the middle of the night after elaborate rituals to appease Shiva and Shakti, the cooked food are offered as Prasad to Bhoktas and others.
Next comes performance by Bhoktas and other artists before the house of the person who invited them on the fulfilment of a wish or simply to honor the pious tradition. Traditional singing and dancing are performed while different themes being acted out. 
Parva dance is the first item of the repertory. The Prabhakar and the Prabhakariani (female) in colourful dress perform dance in the beginning. The male dancer or the Prabhakar places a piece of cloth on his shoulders and holds the ends of it before him with both the hands. He swings his hands forward and backward, right and left, to the rhythm of the dance. A semi-circular plate, made of bamboo sticks and covered with coloured, decorated cloth is tied to the back of the Prabhkar. The Prabhakariani, a male in female role, dresses himself in sari and kanchala  (blouse). The Prabhakariani holds a piece of coloured handkerchief in his hand. After the Parva dance, the Hara-Parvati dance follows, again to be followed by the dance of  Fakir and Fakiriani which is a group dance. The dances of Savara-Savarani, Chadheya-Chadheyani, are performed one after another. Then, the party performs a leela (topic) based on a story from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata or from any other Puranas through singing, dialogue and dances. Patarasaura and Patarasaurani perform their dance at the end of the leela. The Binakar closes the performance with his signature songs and dance. However, it should be noted that the sequences in performances vary from place to place. Songs are based on historical narratives, or could be comical, or could be in question and answer format in which one among the duo throws a question and the other answers it.
On the concluding day of this penance on Meru day, a huge fire is burnt over which bhoktas are hung upside down until drops of blood flows from their nostrils. Also takes place the kanta danda or walking on sharp nails fixed to wooden platforms.
Mangalu Pradhan summarizes this arduous festival aptly, “Bhokta live by the dictum: Don’t make any mistake, don’t ask for forgiveness.”