Cuttack district administration allows Bali Jatra this year

Cuttack: After being cancelled for two years, the historic Bali Jatra will be held this year in Cuttack. The Cuttack district administration has decided to allow the Bali Jatra on the banks of Mahanadi river in the silver city.

District Collector Bhabani Shankar Chaini today said the decision has been taken keeping in view the improvement of the Covid situation.

Bali Jatra is held every year to commemorate and celebrate the glorious maritime history of Odisha and it draws thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond. It is believed that traders of Odisha used to make business trips through the sea route to far away islands such as Bali, Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.

The festival is celebrated as a grand open air event on Mahanadi river banks adjacent to the Barabati fort for over a week.

It is worth to mention that the district administration had cancelled the Bali Jatra in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic situation.