Festival
Bali Jatra precisely means “A journey to Bali” also known in
Odia as “Boita Bandana” According
to the Odia Calendar month of Kartik (October - November), the city of Cuttack
in Odisha celebrates a well-known festival known as Bali Jatra. This popular
festival of Odisha is celebrated every year beginning from the day of full moon
or Kartika Poornima and continue at Gadagadia Ghat of the River
Mahanadi for the next seven days where they worship the Lord Kartikeswar.
Moreover, through this festival, the locals also commemorate
that day when sailors of Odisha first movement to distant lands of Java (at the
time of the voyage known as Yawadvipa), Bali, Borneo, Sri Lanka (Formerly
Ceylon), and Sumatra. To pay their homage, regional people make the artificial
boat (made up of paper, barks of the banana tree, and cork) and float it in the
water. Besides, the festival also observes the tradition of lighting lamps in
the boat which is called Boita Bandana. This boasts an amazing landscape of
countless boats lit with lamps.
This festival is also associated with Taapoi and rituals like
Bhalukuni Osha, Khudurukuni Osha, Bada Osha. Taapoi closely associated with the
bali jatra festival, which recalls traditional memories of young maidens
waiting for the return of their sailor brothers.
The legend of the festival says that the Odishan mariners or
ancient sadhabas considered the day of Poornima (full moon) highly auspicious
to start any sail to distant lands. Moreover, on this day, a grand fair is also
organized where more than 24 states of traditional items are kept on display. Around
150 stalls of handicraft items and traditional silver. Also, the concerned
authority also organizes boating opportunity for the visitors which is the
highlight of this beautiful festival in Cuttack.