OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha government will recognize Cuttack’s ‘Bali Jatra’ as a state-level festival. Housing and Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena said the state government will soon issue a notification in this regard.
Bali Jatra, meaning ‘A voyage to Bali’, is a seven-day trade fair that is organized every year in the Hindu month of ‘Kartik’ (October-November) on the Mahanadi river bed in Cuttack. Said to be the state’s oldest trade fair, it is linked with Odia merchants’ visit to Bali in Indonesia on full moon days.
The Housing and Urban Development and Culture departments will provide necessary financial assistance for organizing the historic fair. The decision was taken after a meeting on the fair with Cuttack District Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani.
Commencing on the full moon day of the ‘Kartik’ month, devotees worship Lord Kartikeswar, the presiding deity of the festival, for the next seven days at the Gadagadia Ghat of Mahanadi. Many businessmen from other states sell handicrafts in the fair. A Gandhi Shilpa Bazaar with over 150 stalls is also set up on the occasion.
A high-level meeting, chaired by Minister Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Law, Housing & Urban Development, Odisha Pratap Jena was held at Lok Seba Bhawan on Friday. Minister, Tourism & Culture Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Principal Secretary Culture Manoranjan Panigrahi, and Secretary Tourism Vishal Dev were present.
The meeting deliberated on the long historical tradition of Balijatra and its significance in the maritime history of Odisha. It was opined that Balijatra of Cuttack deserved a Special Status with support being extended by all the departments of Government.
As the District Council of Culture, Cuttack under the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department is organizing Balijatra, it was decided that this Department will bring out a notification recognizing Balijatra as a State Level Festival. Balijatra of Cuttack will be managed by the District Council of Culture under the Chairmanship of Collector, Cuttack as an annual cultural and trade festival.
The Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department will extend a special annual grant of Rs. 20 lakh exclusively for organizing Balijatra to the District Council of Culture, Cuttack in addition to its regular assistance for other District Level Festivals to Cuttack District. Balijatra at Cuttack will find a place in the annual calendar of State Level Festivals of the Department of Tourism which will extend an annual grant of Rs.20 Lakhs for this festival, the meeting decided.
Further, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will extend a grant of Rs. 50 Lakh to Cuttack Municipal Corporation for the development of infrastructure exclusively for Balijatra every year. The sponsoring Departments will be properly branded at the Balijatra venue.
The EIC, PHD will install 100 temporary toilets at Baliyatra venue and make adequate arrangements for water facilities there while the PHD will clean the water stored in the lakes being developed at Baliyatra Ground for water sports activities. All other line Departments, such as Water Resources Department, Works Department, CESU, Health Department will make necessary arrangements at the Baliatra Venue and funds required for the same will be met out of there departmental budget.
Commissionerate Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack will manage Law and Order and Traffic while Directorate of Fire Services, ODRAF and NDRF will extend necessary corporation to the Collector, Cuttack for smooth organization of Baliatra.
For making the Baliatra more attractive, different departments of the Government such as Agriculture, Animal Resources, Industry, SS & EPD, Forest, Textile Department etc will showcase their activities and make adequate budgetary provision for the same.