Historic Bali Yatra festival begins today in Cuttack.

Thousands of people accross rivers and other water  in different parts of the State in Odisha today celebrate Boita Bandana, the festival to remember Odisha’s rich history.


In the same day people across Odisha observed the festival Bali yatra in Cuttack which is the biggest fairs in the country.

In ancient times, sea traders from Odisha known as “sadhabas” would begin their sea voyages on the full moon day of the Kartika month of the Hindu calendar, to the Indonesian island of Bali.

Those days are now gone, but people float tiny boats and celebrate the festival of “Boita Bandana” every year in memory of that past glory.

Similarly, according to a belief, the last five days of the month of Kartika, called Panchaka, are considered sacred. The last day, named Kartika Purnima, is considered the most sacred.

It is believed that those who take a dip in the sea, in rivers of ponds on that day and visit the temple early in the morning get absolution from their sins.The festival also marks the end of a month-long abstinence from non-vegetarian food for most Odia families and the beginning of the Bali Yatra along the banks of Mahanadi river in Cuttack.

The fair at Kila Maidan on the riverbank of Cuttack, 26 km from here, is the biggest trade fair in the state. More than 100,000 people visit it, on average, at this time of year.


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