Odisha’s Bali Yatra
WHY IN NEWS ?
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the ancient trade and cultural links that India’s Odisha has with Indonesia’s Bali – a connection that thrives to this day for over a thousand years.
What is Bali Yatra/Bali Jatra of Odisha?
- It is a unique socio – cultural event with glorious history which commemorates the past association of the people of Odisha with Bali and the glorious maritime tradition of transoceanic voyages they undertook to South East Asian Countries.
- The celebration of Bali yatra on the Bank of river Mahanadi takes us back to remember our ancestral cultural heritage and maritime legacy.
Historical Significance
- The origins of the festival can be traced back more than 1,000 years when maritime and cultural links between ancient Kalinga (present day Odisha) and Bali and other South and Southeast Asian regions were prevalent.
- The Bay of Bengal region had several ports, and sadhavas (traders) traditionally began their voyage across the sea on this auspicious day.
Why Bali Yatra is celebrated?
- Some opine, Odia Sadhabas (sea traders) were sailing off to Bali on this monsoon season for which it is named as such.
- Others say, Sri Chaitanya, the great Vaishnavite Bengali Saint, first landed on the soil of Cuttack after crossing the sand-bed (Bali) of Mahanadi River on his way to Puri on this auspicious day.
SOURCE – The Hindu
