Navratri festival in Katra to showcase ‘Yakshagana’ theatre presentation

Katra, Oct 10 (PTI) Set to begin on October 15, the Navratri festival in Katra town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district will for the first time feature Karnataka’s renowned ‘Yakshagana’ theatre presentation centred around Mata Vaishno Devi, a senior official said on Tuesday.

All preparations for a smooth pilgrimage to the cave shrine have been made by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, its CEO Anshul Garg said here.

“Karnataka’s famous ‘Yakshagana’ theatre presentation on the theme of Mata Vaishno Devi will be showcased on the inaugural day,” he told reporters here.

Garg added that the chairman of the board had issued directions to incorporate various forms of art and theatre from various parts of the country in the festival.

Yakshagana is a form of dance-drama originating from south India and is closely associated with the state of Karnataka. Elaborate and colourful costumes, makeup and masks are among the most distinctive features of this art form.

Garg said this year’s Navratri festival will see the strengthening of registration and the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) setup.

“We have increased the number of counters to 37 for registration. The registration process will commence at 4 am instead of 5 am, ensuring pilgrims won’t have to endure long queues. It will be regulated based on the yatra track’s carrying capacity. We have reinforced RFID cards for the yatra,” he added.

The shrine board CEO said another langar was being added at Bhairav Ghati.

“Two projects were planned by the board, with Durga Bhawan being inaugurated by the LG. The second project, a skywalk, has been completed at a cost of Rs 15 crores within a 15-month period. It will provide convenience for people in the Bhawan area,” he added.

He said another project is the Navdurga Path, “where we have showcased the nine forms of Navdurga, creating a spiritually uplifting atmosphere”.

“We also have a 250-metre flyover with wooden flooring. Parvati Bhawan has been refurbished and now includes 1,500 lockers,” Garg said.

He said that more than three lakh pilgrims visit during Shardiya Navratri, adding, “We anticipate a similar response this year.”

Garg said the inaugural festival of Navratri will commence on October 15.