Bhubaneswar: Stage has been set for Bargarh's famous Dhanu Yatra, an 11-day festival that revolves round the story of demon king Kansa, with a jury picking up veteran Bhubaneswar Pradhan to essay the role of the mythological tyrant.

The jury pronounced its verdict on Tuesday at the end of a gruelling audition that saw 23 aspirants. The small western Odisha town, about 320 kms from here, is getting ready for the show that will commence on December 23.

The character of Kansa is at the centre of the yatra perceived by many as the world's largest open-air theatre. The theatre concludes with his death at the hands of his nephew, Krishna. The tale symbolises victory of good over evil.

During the yatra, Bargarh turns into a virtual Mathura of the mythology with Kansa ruling the roost. Dressed in full regalia he moves around the town on a caparisoned elephant issuing orders and pulling up errant government officials.

People keep moving aboutthe town to witness the dramatisation of various episodes of the opera.

The festival starts with the marriage procession of Kansa's sister Devaki with Vasudev and as the procession winds its way through the town. The scene then shifts to a makeshift prison where Devaki is incarcerated along with her husband by her tyrant brother.

The yatra, which is believed to have originated in 1915 as a symbol of people's protest against the British rule, took its present form after the country attained independence. The annual affair is now an inalienable part of western Odisha's cultural profile.