A man performs Medha nrutya on a busy bylane of Puri wearing the 10 masks of Ravan to celebrate Sahi Jaata festival on Tuesday.

Sahi Jaata is an age-old tradition of celebrating the legend of Lord Ram through a procession-oriented dance form known as Naga dance or Medha nrutya. Some of the popular characters of the festival are those of Ram, Hanuman and Parsuram, while Ravan is the most popular one. In Sahi Jaata, Ravan is considered a divine and widely respected character, much like Kansa in the Dhanu yatra. The festival, a significant part of Puri's cultural life, is supported by the district culture office.

 

Text by Namita Panda, picture by Sarat Patra