Cuttack Not To Celebrate Odisha’s Maritime Glory At River Ghats This Year

Cuttack: People in Millenium City are barred from sailing miniature boats and congregating at rivers and other water bodies to celebrate Boita Bandana on Kartika Purnima (the fifteenth lunar day of Hindu month Kartik).

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has put a ban on such activities in view of the COVID pandemic.

Kartika Purnima falls on November 19 this year.

Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh told the media that IICs of all police stations have been directed to ensure compliance to the restriction in their respective jurisdictions.

Earlier this month, the annual trade fair Bali Jatra at Gadgadia Ghat on the banks of the Mahanadi was also cancelled for the second consecutive year to avoid large congregations with the third wave still looming large.

Notably, the November lockdown guidelines, issued by the Odisha government, restricted ‘Boita Bandana Utsav’ and mass bathing on the day of Kartik Purnima at river ghats and other water bodies.

The order issued by the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) also stated that Bali Jatra, which is organised at Cuttack, Paradip and Bhubaneswar on the same day, will remain prohibited.