Jagatsinghpur: The district festival here celebrated the essence of a rare theatre tradition that traces its history to the days of Mughal rule in India.

Artistes put up a stage performance of Mughal Tamasha at the annual Jagatsinghpur Zilla Mahotsav, leaving the audience spellbound.

"This old folk theatre style is facing severe hardship as people these days are constantly glued to their television sets or mobile phones. We decided to stage this exclusive folk theatre to provide the performers the much-needed encouragement," said district culture officer Ranjan Kumar Das.

"This form is still very popular in Bhadrak where it originated during the Muslim feudal system. We invited Sanket, an exponent of this dwindling art form to perform here. The group performed admirably and won appreciation," he said.

Audience members were also in awe of the performance.

The play was a fusion of dialogues in five languages - Parsi, Hindi, Urdu, Odia and Bengali - and bore glimpses of the Hindu-Muslim culture. "The artistes, all dressed in gorgeous attire, enthralled us with superb dialogue delivery and classical nuances of acting. Language was no barrier as the acting cast a spell on everyone," said theatre enthusiast Radhakant Mishra.

"I had heard about Mughal Tamasha, but never witnessed it before. It was an exhilarating experience. The audience comprised of various age groups and everyone enjoyed the two-hour show. The colourful costumes added glamour to the play," said folk theatre lover Biplab Choudhury.

He also appealed to save the art form. "This unique tradition is struggling to survive. The state government should extend patronage to tamasha troupes so that it could be preserved for posterity," he added.