First Bali Yatra In London To Celebrate Odisha Heritage

London will witness Odisha’s iconic Bali Yatra on November 30, thanks to the efforts of the OSUK and promise by Odisha government to support it.

Bhubaneswar: For the first time, the historic Bali Yatra of Odisha will be celebrated in London under the aegis of Odisha Society of the United Kingdom (OSUK) in support with the Odisha government. The event scheduled for November 30 aims at promoting Odisha’s culture and heritage on an international platform.

Partha Sarathi Panda, Director of OSUK, met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Tuesday to discuss the details of event. "Both have expressed their commitment to supporting this unique celebration. This year, we are organizing two major events in London, and Bali Yatra is one of them,” said Panda.

“It is a proud moment for us, as it will bring together the immigrant Odia community in London to celebrate our culture,” he said. Dr. Vibhuti Bhushan Patnaik, another director of OSUK, stated that, “This is the first time that Bali Yatra will be held outside Odisha, and we hope it will be a grand success. We invite everyone to join us in making this event memorable.”

Speaking on the broader impact of the event, Shweta Mohanty, a member of OSUK, said, “We will not only showcase Odisha’s rich heritage, including its temples, art, and beautiful seashore, but also explore opportunities to promote Odisha-UK trade relations. This event will help highlight the potential for investment in sectors like livestock and food processing.”

The event is being organized by OSUK directors, including Partha Sarathi Panda, Salil Kumar Das, Dr. Prakash Kumar Dey, Dr. Vibhuti Bhushan Patnaik, Sasmita Rajhans, Prabhat Mishra, Deepti Mohanty and Srikant Kumar Padhi along with key members of the Odia community in London. The Bali Yatra will serve as a platform to bring Odias together and promote Odisha’s cultural legacy on a global stage.

OSUK has been active in London for over 40 years and works to preserve and promote Odia language, literature, culture, and traditions among the migrant Odia community.

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