Students of DAV School, Pokhariput, celebrate Boita Bandana .Telegraph picture and Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Nov. 27: The glorious past of commercial sea voyages organised from Odisha to the islands of Bali, Sumatra and Java will come alive on Wednesday in the form of Boita Bandana.

Rivers and beaches across the state would echo with the ancient lines, Aa ka ma bhaye, pana gua thoi. Pana gua tora, masaka dharama mora, as people sail their miniature boats to commemorate the state’s rich history in maritime trade.

Coinciding with Boita Bandana are the Bali yatra fairs in Cuttack and Paradip. Kumar Purnima will also be observed to recreate the legends of the Odia sadhaba (maritime traders) embarking on their long voyages.

The Daya and Kuakhai rivers and Bindusagar lake will be the major spots for the Boita Bandana celebrations in Bhubaneswar. Families will sail colourful paper boats containing betel leaf, nuts, coins and earthen lamps.

People will converge on the Gadagadia ghat and Debi ghat in Cuttack to celebrate Boita Bandana. In Puri, Lord Jagannath will be dressed up as Rajarajeswar and decked up in gold.

Paper and sola boats are among the most sought after items across the state. Some of the boats have been decorated with colourful origami, bells and beads and their price starts from Rs 5 and goes up to a few hundred rupees depending on the size and design.

“The river represents our lives beyond which is the spiritual world. Devotees sail boats and pray to the lord to help them cross the river of worldly ties with grace,” said Jagannath culture expert Surya Narayan Rath Sharma.

Bali yatra festivities

Bali yatra, the largest annual fair in Cuttack, will begin on Wednesday. Around 45 platoons of police force, including Odisha State Armed Police, besides the quick reaction team, anti-terrorist squad and bomb squad will be deployed to maintain law and order at the fair that draws lakhs of people from various parts of the country. Closed-circuit television cameras at many places and five watch towers have also been set up.

“Over 300 officers would be in charge of security during the fair,” said deputy commissioner of police S. Praveen Kumar, adding that the crowd turnout is estimated to be around 4-5 lakhs on a daily basis.

This year, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation has constructed a permanent welcome gate for the fair. The gate, constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh, has been designed as a replica of a large boat with seven sadhabas. To make the fair eco-friendly, the Cuttack civic body has banned the use of polythene.

In Paradip, chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Kalinga Bali yatra fair on Tuesday evening. He will take part in the festivities there on Wednesday.