Devotees performing rituals of 'Boita bandaana' on the occassion of Kartik Purnima celebrated to remember the past maritime glory of Odisha at an artificial pond near Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar on Monday. On this day Odia sailors used to embark on sea voyages to foreign shores of countries like riLanka, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra,Thailand, Maldives etc.
What did the sadhavas carry in their magnificent boats? Historical evidence suggests the cargo consisted of ivory, textiles, precious stones, rice and betel nuts among other items. Elephants from Odisha were in great demand in Sri Lanka. It means our ancients were skilled at taming wild elephants and had boats strong enough to transport the heavy animal. They brought back precious metals such as gold and silver, pearls, spices and silk.
Cuttack: There is a lot to explore in Cuttack and what better way to do it than be a part...
Communal memory is more powerful than history. Our ancient maritime glory lives on in collective memory through the celebration of...
Egyptian mythology offers strong hints of maritime links with ancient Odisha. The land it mentions as Put or Punt was...
In Sonepur, the land of Shakti worship, Bali Jatra assumes a different meaning altogether. According to tradition, the festival began during Raja...
Copyright © 2026 Frontier Media
