Cuttack Bali Jatra eyes to enter Guinness World Records

Cuttack: The famous open-air fair ‘Bali Jatra’ in silver city Cuttack is eying to enter Guinness Book of World Records.

The preparations in this regard are underway by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to celebrate the glorious maritime history of Odisha during Bali Jatra.

According to reports, the CMC is planning to prepare about 10,000 paper boats in just 15 minutes to enter the Guinness World Records. Around 4,000 participants from all walks of life will be engaged in making of paper boats to achieve the target. The event will be held at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack around November 12.

“Efforts will be made to make 7,000-10,000 boats using paper involving 3,000-4,000 participants including students, corporators, lawyers and teachers at the event to find place in the Guinness World Records. The training is being provided to the participants at different schools and colleges. A team of Guinness World Records officials from London is expected to reach here by November 10. We have proposed to hold the event on November 12. The exact date will be announced soon,” CMC Mayor Subash Singh said adding, “It will be proud moment for us if we make it.”

Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written to the Centre in 2019 urging to accord national status to Cuttack Bali Jatra.

“If the Centre approves it, we will see the stalls across the country at Bali Jatra Ground during the week-long festival. With this, we will register international footfall too,” he further said.

Speaking about the upcoming programme, CMC Commissioner Nikhil Pavan Kalayn said, “The chief objective behind organising the event is to celebrate our tradition in our style. There is no rocket science behind making of a paper boat. This is a simple idea for which everybody is coming together to make it happen.”