Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court today advised the authorities not to organise the annual Bali Jatra at the Upar Padia (the ground near Barabati fort) in Cuttack.

The High Court made this advice while hearing a case pertaining to the civic issues of the Silver City.

The HC asked the Cuttack Collector to discuss the Bali Jatra issue with all departments of the state government and take the necessary steps.

Notably, the Bali Jatra, the biggest trade fair in Odisha, is organised at the Upar Padia and Tala Padia, a portion of the floodplains of Mahanadi river in Cuttack.

The iconic fair is scheduled to kick off in Cuttack on November 15.The trade fair will continue for eight days till November 22.

Bali Jatra usually begins on the occasion of Kartika Purnima and continues for around a week. The annual fair is organised on the banks of Mahanadi to celebrate the glorious maritime history of Odisha.

Traders from across the country, corporate houses and government agencies usually open their stalls at the fair.

Thousands of people from several districts of Odisha visit the fair to buy household goods, decorative pieces and wooden items among other things.

Hundreds of food stalls also come up at the fair to serve varieties of cuisines to the people.

The state government had accorded the state festival tag to Bali Jatra a few years ago.

It is worth mentioning here that the trade fair could not be held for two years (2020 and 2021) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.