Odisha’s Demand For Natl Maritime Heritage Tag To Cuttack Bali Jatra’s Stuck In Technical Maze

Cuttack: Expressing its inability to accord National Maritime Heritage Festival status to Bali Jatra, the Union Ministry of Culture has asked the Odisha government to approach the ‘competent authority’ for the same.

Cuttack Mayor Subash Singh, who received the letter from the Ministry, termed the development as ‘unfortunate’. “I have again written to the Culture Minister to reconsider the demand and apprise us about the ‘competent authority’ who we need to approach. It is a question of Odisha’s pride, its glorious past and culture and about its ancient trade links,” he told a presser on Thursday.

The Mayor also expressed displeasure over the delay in granting the status to Bali Jatra despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning about the significance of one of the country’s largest open-air fairs held in Cuttack and its importance for trade and cultural expansion. “If national recognition is not given to the festival soon,  the issue will be raised in the Parliament,” he said.

During the G20 Summit, PM Modi mentioned about Bali Jatra, literally ‘voyage to Bali’, that commemorates the 2,000-year-old maritime and cultural links between ancient Kalinga and Southeast Asia. “We are all here in Bali, but in India… around 1,500 kms away from here, a festival is being celebrated right now at this moment on the banks of river Mahanadi called ‘Bali Jatra’… this Mahotsav celebrates thousands of years old India-Indonesia trade relations…,” he said in his address to the Indian diaspora.

After deciding to make it a state-level festival, a Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2019 wrote to the then Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel, urging him to accord National Maritime Heritage Festival Status to the fair. “Bali Yatra is an integral part of the cultural ethos of Odisha. It is deeply embedded in the collective consciousness of the Odia people. Hence, I would suggest you to kindly consider the social-cultural importance of “Bali Jatra” festival and accord it the status of a ‘National Maritime Heritage Festival’. And, I am sure that would be a befitting tribute to our heritage and on the inspiration for our future,” he wrote.

While Bali Jatra could not be held in the subsequent two years due to COVID-19 pandemic, the fair found a place in the Guinness World Records for achieving an impressive feat of origami, the creation of beautiful paper sculptures (22,000 paper boats in 35 minutes) in 2022.

This year, a Sea Tunnel Aquarium with 360 degree views of exotic marine life and an art exhibition in ‘Cuttack-In-Cuttack’ pavilion for entertainment of the revellers are some of the special attractions at the fair on the banks of the Mahanadi, will kick off on November 27 and continue till December 4.

The civic body is also spending Rs 1.81 crore on a digital exhibition in an air-conditioned hangar sprawling over 20,000 sq feet and another Rs 27,73,000 on green fireworks of 20 minutes duration twice during the weekends. Two welcome arches are being erected at a cost of Rs 32 lakh on NH 16 and near Netaji Subhas Bose Setu and R 4 lakh on roadside beautification. A laser show is also being planned at the fair ground. Around 1,900 stalls of various products ranging from handicraft to household goods will be set up this year, sources said.

On Wednesday, Singh flagged off a colourful tableau to commemorate the maritime trade of ancient Odisha. It will tour different districts from November 22 to December 4.