Bāli Jātrā, () , is the major
Boita Bandana
Boita Bandāna ( or, ବୋଇତ ବନ୍ଦାଣ ''boita bandāṇa'') also known as Dangā Bhasā ( or, ଡଙ୍ଗା ଭସା ''ḍaṅgā bhasā''), is a traditional Odia maritime and naval festival celebrated annually throughout Odisha ...
festival held at Cuttack on
Kartik Purnima
Kartika Purnima is a Hindu, Sikh and Jain cultural festival that is celebrated on Purnima (full moon day), the 15th (or 30th) lunar day of the month of Kartika. It falls in November or December of the Gregorian calendar and is also known as ...
. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
(a state in eastern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
), in the city of
Cuttack
Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally ...
at ''Gadagadia Ghata'' of the
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay ...
river, to mark the day when ancient
Sadhaba
Sadhabas (or Sadhavas) ( or, ସାଧବ sādhaba) were ancient mariners from the Kalinga region, which roughly corresponds to modern Odisha, India. They used ships called Boitas to travel to distant lands such as South-East Asia to carry out tra ...
s (Odia mariners) would set sail to distant lands of
Bali, as well as
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
(at the time of the voyage known as "Yawadvipa"),
Sumatra,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
(all in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
), and
Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) for trade and cultural expansion. To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima (full moon day of the month of Kartika) according to the
Odia calendar The Odia calendar ( or, ପାଞ୍ଜି Pāñji) is a lunisolar calendar followed in the state of Odisha, India. The calendar follows the sidereal solar cycle while using the lunar Purnimanta phase for the religious dates. The New Year in the Od ...
.
Overview
![Balijatraa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Balijatraa.jpg)
On Kartika Purnima, which comes around the end of October and November, people of Odisha gather near banks of
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay ...
,
Brahmani river
The Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Odisha state of eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers, and flows through the districts of Sundargarh, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack ...
, other river banks, ponds, water tanks and sea shores to float miniature toy boats, made of colored paper, dried banana tree barks, and cork, as a symbolic gesture of their ancestors' voyage. These toy boats, usually launched early in the morning contain traditional paan and small oil lamps, which are lit and placed inside them, to provide an attractive sight during the festival. People sing a song ''Aa ka ma boi, pan gua thoi...'' to remember the early
maritime history of Odisha
The Maritime history of Odisha ( or, ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସାମୁଦ୍ରିକ ଇତିହାସ; ''Oḍisāra Sāmudrika Itihāsa''), known as Kalinga in ancient times, started much before 800 BC according to early sources. The ...
. The song tells about four months that are important for marine merchants of
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to:
Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology
* Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India
** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature
** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
(the earlier name of Odisha). This festival is also celebrated with great fanfare in
Paradeep
Paradeep, also spelt Paradip (originally Paradweep, also spelt Paradwip), is a major seaport city and municipality, from Jagatsinghpur city in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. Paradeep Municipality was constituted as an NAC on 27 Sep ...
. Bali Jatra bears testimony to the rich maritime legacy of ancient Odisha. This is the specific time that was considered auspicious by the Sadhabas to begin their voyage in vessels called
Boita
Boitas ( or, ବୋଇତ) were larger boats and ships that were built in the ancient Kalinga region during its maritime history. Kalinga's sea facing regions consisting of coastal Odisha had major trading ports for which ''boita''s were used. An ...
s. The voyage is begun on ''Kartika Purnima'' to take advantage of the favorable wind blowing during this time. ''Ajhala'' or big fabric sails were used to harness the wind power to move the ''Boitas''.
Bali Jatra is also associated with ''Ta'apoi'' and rituals like ''Bhalukuni Osha'' or ''Khudurukuni Osha'' and ''Bada Osha''. ''Ta'apoi'' is closely associated with the Bali Jatra festival, which recalls traditional memories of young maidens waiting for the return of their sailor brothers.
Cuttack
In Cuttack, Bali Jatra is celebrated annually as a large open fair near the
Barabati Fort area. There are several attractions for children like toy stalls, giant wheels, different games, maut ka kuan (literally well of death) and food stalls selling Odia delicacies (''Cuttack
Dahibara Aludum'', ''Thunka puri'', ''
Kulfi
Kulfi () ( fa, ) is a frozen dairy dessert originating in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era in the 16th century. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi is a traditional sweet of the Indian subcontinent, wher ...
'', ''
Gupchup'', ''Mathura Cake'', ''Banarasi Paan'' etc.) from different parts of the state, and other vendors selling toys, curiosities, and other gifts. Bali Jatra also witnesses a lot of cultural programs. Every year millions of people from all around the world visit Bali Jatra to experience it.
Other Bali Jatras
Apart from the major Bali Jatra held at Cuttack, other Bali Jatras are also held across the state. Some notable ones held are Kalinga Bali Jatra held at Paradeep, Chelitola Bali Jatra at Tirtol. The prominent Bali Jatra after Cuttack is the Kalinga Bali Jatra held at
Paradeep
Paradeep, also spelt Paradip (originally Paradweep, also spelt Paradwip), is a major seaport city and municipality, from Jagatsinghpur city in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. Paradeep Municipality was constituted as an NAC on 27 Sep ...
since 1992. It was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister
Biju Patnaik
Bijayananda Patnaik (5 March 1916 – 17 April 1997) was an Indian politician, aviator and businessman. As politician, he served twice as the Chief Minister of the State of Odisha.
Early life
His parents lived in Bellaguntha, Ganjam dist ...
by flagging off the naval yacht INSV Samudra, which reached the port Benoa Harbour,
Denpasar
Denpasar (; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has e ...
in
Bali in 1993. The Kalinga Bali Jatra was an effort to recreate and revive the legacy of the historical and cultural links of the two regions which was connected by maritime trade.
See also
*
Greater India, for more information about Indian cultural influence in Southeast Asia
*
Suvarnabhumi
( sa, सुवर्णभूमि; Pali: '); my, သုဝဏ္ဏဘူမိ, ; km, សុវណ្ណភូមិ, ''Sovannaphoum''; and th, สุวรรณภูมิ, . is a toponym, that appears in many ancient Indian literary s ...
, a legendary eastern land of gold in classical Indian folklore located somewhere in Southeast Asia
References
{{Odia culture
Odia culture
Maritime history of India
Festivals in Odisha
Cultural history of Odisha
October events
November events
Maritime culture