Bhubaneswar: The Odia diaspora brought the rich cultural heritage and ancient history of Odisha to one of the world’s most prominent stages, presenting a vibrant Bali Yatra-themed tableau at the 44th Annual India Day Parade along Madison Avenue in New York city.
Aligned with this year’s official parade theme, ‘Harmony in Heritage’, the showcase celebrated the state’s thousands-of-years-old maritime trade legacy, when ancient Kalinga’s Sadhaba merchants voyaged to Bali and Southeast Asia.
Organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), the annual event featured the Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) presenting a custom-crafted wooden boat, or boita, measuring 15 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 6 feet high. Designed and constructed over a period of two months by IT professional and woodworking enthusiast Suryakant Rath, the float was brought to life with the dedicated support of community volunteers, including Rashmita Panda, Prajna Pradhan, Anita Patel, Tapas Jena, and youth volunteers Anwesha Rath and Aarna Malik.
Rolling across a one-mile stretch from 38th Street to 27th Street, the tableau showcased a traditional 10-by-6-foot Pipili chandua (appliqué work) procured directly from Pipili in Odisha. Accompanying the float were 14 dancers performing the traditional folk Dhemsa dance along the parade route and on the main cultural stage following the procession. The dancers, Bulbul Bhattarcharja, Rashmi Rajaguru, Sharmistha Acharya, Sugita Tripathy, and several youth performers, rehearsed for two months for the performance, succeeding last year’s Odissi representation.
Members of the OSA’s NYNJPA chapter, including president Nilasundar Jena, highlighted that the initiative aims to spotlight Odisha’s global trade legacy while fostering cultural connectivity among second-generation Odia expats and Gen Z youth in the United States.