Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday made a special mention about ‘Bali Jatra’, Odisha’s ancient maritime tradition that goes back more than 2,000 years and its deep-rooted connection with Indonesia, at G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting (DEMM) at Bali.
“It is good to meet in person. Especially because this meeting is in Bali. On the east coast of India, there is a culturally rich state of Odisha, where millions of people celebrate Bali Jatra every year. Bali Jatra is a festival dedicated to the centuries-old maritime trade links between India and Indonesia,” he said in his address.
The Ministry of Communications and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia is hosting the meet as part of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency.
Notably, trade relations between the erstwhile Kalinga and Indonesia were very strong from the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. The Kalinga seafarers (Sadhabas) used to go to Indonesia particularly Bali by boats taking advantage of the retreating monsoon. “If sailors started from Odisha in mid-November, it is estimated that they would reach the islands of Java/Bali by mid-January. They would now have two months to conduct business before starting the homeward journey in mid-March,” Sanjeev Sanyal, an urban theorist and author, writes in his book, The Ocean of Churn.
The trading activities led by Kalinga were flourishing in SE Asia, now inhabited by the present ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Sri Lanka and Siam (Thailand). These centuries of trade relations cemented the alliance between traders and rulers from Kalinga and those in Indonesia. So much so, that it is believed that the islands of Java and Bali derive their name from the names of Odia kings.
Several centuries after the maritime days are long over, Odisha continues to celebrate Bali Jatra, in symbolic commemoration of the ancient farewell for the sailors, even today. After a gap of two years due to COVID restrictions, the famous fair will be held on the banks of the Mahanadi in Cuttack city from November 8 to 14 this year.
