Yesterday when I was channel surfing, I tuned in to the Oriya channels of Doordarshan and E TV on which they were showing the formal inauguration of the ancient Baliyatra- an ancient festival of Orissa celebrated with much pomp and show all across Orissa and beyond.
Every Oriya has fond memories of the baliyatra which used to be held over a span on a week or more with fair and fun all the way....
Doing a bit of searching for the ancient history of Baliyatra, I came across the following facts- some of which I knew and some which I did not..
"Baliyatra literally means a 'Voyage to Bali'.
Brave and adventurous Kalinga sailors were making daring voyages to different far-off lands of the world and had maritime contacts with Roman Empire, Africa, Persian coast, Arabian countries in the West and China, Japan, Siam, Champa, Burma, Ceylon etc in the East. Besides, the countries with whom the people of Kalinga maintained enduring commercial and cultural relationship were the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali and Borneo collectively known as Suvarnadvipa or modern Indonesia. Orissa's glorious maritime past has been proved from the excavated materials like Roman coins, Kushan coins, Chinese ceramic shreds found from different parts of Orissa in the recent past.
Some socio-religious festivals prevalent in coastal Orissa also provide vital information about Kalinga's glorious maritime heritage. Festival of Baliyatra on Kartika Purnima (full-moon day of the month Kartika ie. Oct-Nov) is one of them on which 'Boita Bandana' (ceremonial send off to the merchants sailing in boats) festival is observed throughout Orissa. Even now toy boats lit up with candles are floated ceremonially by the women-folk of Orissa on all available water courses in the same fashion in which the ladies of yore used to send their men on voyages wishing
them well.
Large number of men, women and children attired in colourful costumes throng all water bodies carrying tiny boats made up of banana peels or paper or solapitha with lighted lamps inside to launch them on the gentle waves accompanied by blowing of conch, ululations by women and occasional burst of
crackers. Oriya women perform the rite of 'Boita Bandana' to evoke the memories of the voyages
of adventurous Kalingans of yore and create a truly romantic mood.
Apart from other places of Orissa, Baliyatra is celebrated with much pomp and grandeur in the historic city of Cuttack for seven days from Kartika Purnima. Some opine, Oriya Sadhabas (sea traders) were sailing off to Bali on this auspicious day at the end of the turbulent monsoon season for which it is named as such.
Others say, Sri Chaitanya, the great Vaishnavite Bengali Saint, first landed in the soil of Cuttack after crossing the sand-bed (Bali) of Mahanadi river on his way to Puri on this auspicious day.
Lakhs of people congregate in the famous Baliyatra festival of Cuttack city where innumerable varieties of goods are bought and sold. People also enjoy boating on the river Mahanadi with friends and relatives in the moonlit night during this festival." (Baliyatra : Reminiscence of Orissa's Maritime Glory by Prabhukalyan Mohapatra)
My earliest childhood memory of Baliyatra in Cuttack used to be that of accompanying my family along with cousins et al and visiting the Baliyatra ground (opposite the barabati stadium). In those days the fair was only limited to the 2 large field opposite the stadium. It used to be filed with all kinds of vendors - from daily utility items to decorative pieces, books, stationaries, cloth, automobiles etc etc...
The part which I used to love the most was the 'thunka puri' (popularly known as chhole bhature in the north).. besides the ladies used to love the 'alu dum and dahi bara' (a specialty of cuttack, alu dum is a chtapata mix of potato curry with curd and 'bara'.... do nt know the exact translation of bara though) along with 'gupchup' (pani puri)...
it has been nearly 5 years since i last saw baliyatra... i now hear that it has grown larger in scale.. it now occupies about 5 times its own space as compared to what it used to occupy during during my childhood.... it has got even more colourful with MNCs putting up stall in it too with all techno gizmos....
even then I will closely cherish the sweet memories that I carry from a an era old gone by... the thought of baliyartra, dussehera and other festivities make me nostalgic even today... reading the proud history of my state makes me want to go back and do something worthwhile to ensure that my state makes up for the lost years in development..
whenever i call up some of my cousin now a days, i find them inevitably in Baliyartra.. while i heave a long sigh of regret I wish them a very happy baliyatra 2009....
Every Oriya has fond memories of the baliyatra which used to be held over a span on a week or more with fair and fun all the way....
Doing a bit of searching for the ancient history of Baliyatra, I came across the following facts- some of which I knew and some which I did not..
"Baliyatra literally means a 'Voyage to Bali'.
Brave and adventurous Kalinga sailors were making daring voyages to different far-off lands of the world and had maritime contacts with Roman Empire, Africa, Persian coast, Arabian countries in the West and China, Japan, Siam, Champa, Burma, Ceylon etc in the East. Besides, the countries with whom the people of Kalinga maintained enduring commercial and cultural relationship were the islands of Java, Sumatra, Bali and Borneo collectively known as Suvarnadvipa or modern Indonesia. Orissa's glorious maritime past has been proved from the excavated materials like Roman coins, Kushan coins, Chinese ceramic shreds found from different parts of Orissa in the recent past.
Some socio-religious festivals prevalent in coastal Orissa also provide vital information about Kalinga's glorious maritime heritage. Festival of Baliyatra on Kartika Purnima (full-moon day of the month Kartika ie. Oct-Nov) is one of them on which 'Boita Bandana' (ceremonial send off to the merchants sailing in boats) festival is observed throughout Orissa. Even now toy boats lit up with candles are floated ceremonially by the women-folk of Orissa on all available water courses in the same fashion in which the ladies of yore used to send their men on voyages wishing
them well.
Large number of men, women and children attired in colourful costumes throng all water bodies carrying tiny boats made up of banana peels or paper or solapitha with lighted lamps inside to launch them on the gentle waves accompanied by blowing of conch, ululations by women and occasional burst of
crackers. Oriya women perform the rite of 'Boita Bandana' to evoke the memories of the voyages
of adventurous Kalingans of yore and create a truly romantic mood.
Apart from other places of Orissa, Baliyatra is celebrated with much pomp and grandeur in the historic city of Cuttack for seven days from Kartika Purnima. Some opine, Oriya Sadhabas (sea traders) were sailing off to Bali on this auspicious day at the end of the turbulent monsoon season for which it is named as such.
Others say, Sri Chaitanya, the great Vaishnavite Bengali Saint, first landed in the soil of Cuttack after crossing the sand-bed (Bali) of Mahanadi river on his way to Puri on this auspicious day.
Lakhs of people congregate in the famous Baliyatra festival of Cuttack city where innumerable varieties of goods are bought and sold. People also enjoy boating on the river Mahanadi with friends and relatives in the moonlit night during this festival." (Baliyatra : Reminiscence of Orissa's Maritime Glory by Prabhukalyan Mohapatra)
My earliest childhood memory of Baliyatra in Cuttack used to be that of accompanying my family along with cousins et al and visiting the Baliyatra ground (opposite the barabati stadium). In those days the fair was only limited to the 2 large field opposite the stadium. It used to be filed with all kinds of vendors - from daily utility items to decorative pieces, books, stationaries, cloth, automobiles etc etc...
The part which I used to love the most was the 'thunka puri' (popularly known as chhole bhature in the north).. besides the ladies used to love the 'alu dum and dahi bara' (a specialty of cuttack, alu dum is a chtapata mix of potato curry with curd and 'bara'.... do nt know the exact translation of bara though) along with 'gupchup' (pani puri)...
it has been nearly 5 years since i last saw baliyatra... i now hear that it has grown larger in scale.. it now occupies about 5 times its own space as compared to what it used to occupy during during my childhood.... it has got even more colourful with MNCs putting up stall in it too with all techno gizmos....
even then I will closely cherish the sweet memories that I carry from a an era old gone by... the thought of baliyartra, dussehera and other festivities make me nostalgic even today... reading the proud history of my state makes me want to go back and do something worthwhile to ensure that my state makes up for the lost years in development..
whenever i call up some of my cousin now a days, i find them inevitably in Baliyartra.. while i heave a long sigh of regret I wish them a very happy baliyatra 2009....
1 comment:
Its 2014 and I have just returned from Balijatra...its same noisy mela but with new stalls and new products...Thanks for your fond memories of the mela...its unique and so closed to our heart.
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