New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal's Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray on Tuesday requested the Central government to accord famous Bali Yatra in Odisha's Cuttack the status of National Festival.
Speaking in the Upper House, Samantaray said that the Bali Yatra has assumed the significance of a national festival as people from across the country participate every year, making it a grand event.
"Come Kartik Purnima, thousands of boats are floated on Mahanadi symbolically to honour the 2000-year-old maritime glory of Odisha. This fair over the years has assumed a size where people have called it one of the biggest fairs in Asia. Held over a period of seven days, Bali Yatra has grown into a national festival in many ways where you find national craftsmen, dance performances, weaving, self-help groups and tribals participating to sell their produce in the market. My leader and former CM Naveen Patnaik has already declared it a state function and had requested the central government to accord it a national festival status."
Putting forth the demand, the BJD MP cited how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned about the popular festival during his visit to Indonesia.
"Bali Yatra found a mention in PM Modi's speech during his visit to Indonesia. PM Modi highlighted how this Odisha festival has connected India with Bali, Sumatra, Java, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, for thousands of years through maritime trade. Last year, the Government of India had sent diplomats from all embassies to witness the trade fair. I am sure anyone amongst my colleagues visiting Odisha during this time would experience the age old tradition that continues to be in practice even today."
"I request the culture and tourism minister to declare it a national festival," he said.
Bali Yatra: Celebrating Odisha's Rich Maritime Glory
Bali Yatra or Bali Jatra, translates to 'voyage to Bali' which is one of the many destinations of Odisha's maritime traders. The yatra is Odisha's biggest and one of Asia's largest trade fairs, held annually at Gadagadia Ghat of Mahanadi River in Cuttack City.
The historic festival honours the voyages of ancient mariner merchants of Odisha, known as the 'Sadhaba Puas', who once sailed to distant lands like Java, Sumatra, and Bali for trade.
Thousands of years ago, these Sadhaba Puas set sail on ‘Boitas’ (sailing boats) on the day of Kartik Purnima, because of the favourable winds during this period. The tradition is kept alive even today as people float miniature boats made of paper, banana bark, and cork in Mahanadi and other water bodies across the state during Kartik Purnima.
As per another legend, the festival links to Sri Chaitanya, the great Bengali poet and saint, who crossed the sand bed of Mahanadi River to reach Cuttack on Kartik Purnima day. As his journey was called the Bali Yatra, the festival is said to have derived its name from his journey.
As the festival in Cuttack kicks off simultaneously during Kartik Purnima, it presents a massive open-air market along the banks of Mahanadi which showcases Odisha’s finest handicrafts, including stone carvings, silver filigree, brass and bell metal work, dokra castings, pattachitra paintings, terracotta items, and textiles made from cotton and tussar silk. This apart, the fair also offers exciting joyrides and unique delicacies at its food stalls.
Notably, in 2022, Bali Yatra scripted history by setting a Guinness World Record for creating as many as 22000 paper boats in just 35 minutes.
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