Batadrava Than gears up for Doul festival

From a Correspondent

BATADRAVA, March 2: As the Doul Yatra festival is round the corner, along with other parts of the country, Batadrava Than is also gearing up to celebrate the Doul festival of Lord Krish, with religious fervour and zeal that draws lakhs of people from across the State. The festival reaches new heights at Batadrava, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, where people from all walks of life, irrespective of caste, creed and religion always take part. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday afternoon, Brajen Kakati, secretary of the Batadrava Than reception committee said, “The festival will be observed at Batadrava Than from March 11 to March 15. We have made elaborate arrangements for the successful and smooth celebration of the five-day long Doul festival, for which 12 sub-committees have been constituted.”

He further said, “From this year we have decided to ban the staging of Mee Bajar (Chitrahar) and circus in Than premises and urge visitors/devotees to wear traditiol Assamese dress at Than premises during the festival.” Xatradhikar of Sri Sri ruwa Xatra, Devanda Devgoswami, executive member Indramohan Baruah along with all members of Batadrava Than reception committee, were present in the conference where the programme leaflet was also released formally. As per schedule, the festival will start with taal kubua prasanga on March 11. Various religious functions like aai am, bhakat am, gumala, bhatima prasanga and gohain phurua will be held. Dignitaries like State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Science and Technology minister Keshav Mahanta, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, Xatradhikkar of New Kamalabari Xatra, Jardan Devgoswami, and Additiol Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu will attend the cultural sessions.