Cuttack: In a significant development bringing cheers among traders and authorities, the Orissa High Court on Thursday allowed the Cuttack district administration to hold the upcoming historic Baliyatra festival on both the upper and lower grounds of the Mahanadi river bank near the Gadagadia ghat here.
The week-long mega festival is scheduled to begin on the day of Kartika Purnima on November 15. Since several civic issues were required to be taken care of by the organising agencies, the Orissa High Court had earlier suggested the authorities limit the festival only to the sprawling lower ground and utilise the upper ground for parking the essential vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigades, and official vehicles to ease the traffic on the two connecting roads of both the grounds.
But when it was learned that the authorities had already allotted plots for the opening of makeshift shops on the upper ground, the High Court last week had asked the authorities to submit affidavits assuring that the civic issues like security arrangements, crowd management, vehicular traffic management, controlling noise and air pollution, checking the food quality, cleanliness, provisions for firefighting units, and uninterrupted supply of drinking water and electricity are taken care of properly.
Upon assurances through affidavits and ensuring personal appearances of the district collector and city DCP in the Court, a Division Bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh on Thursday allowed the authorities to hold the festival on both the grounds with a direction that from next year, the upper ground will be kept reserved for the parking only. The High Court has also issued multiple directions to the police authorities to take necessary steps to avoid traffic congestion in the locality.
The district collector has also assured the High Court that temporary shops will not be allowed to come up on the nearby roads leading to the festival grounds. The district collector’s affidavit also mentions having a green corridor on both grounds for the movement of ambulances, fire brigades and police vehicles.
Two new temporary roads will come up to connect both grounds, and it has also been assured that adequate steps will be taken to minimise noise and air pollution in the locality.
The grand festival, which is considered to be the biggest open-air trade fair in the whole of Asia, is a testament to the ancient maritime trade glory of Kalinga (the ancient name of the state) establishing political, social, and economic relationships with Southeast Asia. It is observed to mark the return of the ancient voyage of Odia maritime traders from Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Sri Lanka with goods from those places to be sold here.
The festival takes place in the river port of Mahanadi at Cuttack near the historic Barabati Fort, and it starts from the Kartika Purnima. Earlier, this festival was held for three to four days. But subsequently, with the increase in participation of traders from other parts of the country, this festival is now being organised for seven days.
It is apt to note that this festival is also known as “Boita Bandana” (Welcoming the Boats), which is mentioned in the ancient chronicle of “Madala Panji." Traders not only from the State of Odisha but from different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, take part in this trade fair, and the Baliyatra grounds record at least five to six lakh footfalls every day.
