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Home , Bali Jatra, Boita, Boita Bandana, Jatra (theatre)

ISSN 0970-8669 Review

Cuttack : The Grand Festival Becomes Grandeur

Annapurna Devi Pandey

Growing up in , I always have marks the beginning of winter. The full moon day taken pride in being a Katakia and believed that of the Kartika month is observed as a I knew everything there was to know about the remembrance of Odisha’s glory of its erstwhile historic , a festival so special to this maritime traditions. Today, the glory of ancient city. As children, we looked forward to the annual Odisha is symbolized as the festival of sail- Jatra all year long. This festival took place about with lighted lamps. People sail (boats) two kilometers away from my parent’s home traditionally made out of banana bark, and now, where I spent the first thirty years of my life. many new varieties made-up of plastic, papier- Except for the few years I was away at college, I mâché and cardboard papers etc., in the sea, river had unfailingly relished every aspect of the or in pond with flowers and lighted lamps. inimitable Bali Jatra... However, having lived abroad for the last several decades I was taken In the ancient times, Odisha, then known by surprise when I visited the Bali Jatra last year. as Utkal, was known for a flourishing maritime Bali Jatra is no longer just a celebration for the trade. The (maritime traders) used to city of Cuttack, but it has also taken a Pan-Indian sail off to distant Indonesian archipelagos (Java, form, with a grandeur, more magnificent display Sumatra, Borneo and Bali) for trade and cultural of wealth and resources. It has become an exchange in boitas. They chose the Kartika extravaganza of art, culture, technology, and the Purnima, an auspicious day, for starting their ubiquitous presence /signature of , onward voyages. Then the bohus (wives making the festival more dramatic and colorful. and womenfolk of the sadhabas) gathered on the The confluence of the village artisans, especially seashore to bid their husbands farewell, for a safe women, and modern technology offers a happy and successful voyage. They used to sing “Aa- cross-section of traditional and modern . Ka-Ma-Bai”, which is the abbreviation of the four lunar months (Aa for the month Aasadha, Ka for Bali Jatra, the biggest festival of Odisha, Karttika, Ma for Margashira and Bai for is a eight-day-long celebration on the banks of Baisakah) and signifies that those months were , starting on Kartika Purnima, which safe for sea voyage. The river bank reverberated marks the closure of Kartika, the Hindu’s holiest with the sounds from the sankha (conch), ghanta month of the lunar year. The landmark Jatra (bell), hulahuli (ululation) and lights from dipa

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(lamp). The maritime trade by the sadhabas is ourselves through the sea of people under the strict now a memory. But the past tradition is still alive vigilance of an elder, buying all sorts of in a symbolic form as bandana utshava. earthenware toys (plastic was non-existent), After an early morning bath on the Karttika eating famous Thunka (a giant puff bread Purnima, people of all ages gather to sail made up of white flour, straight coming out of hot miniature replicas of boitas made of banana barks oil) with Chenna Tarkari, (paneer in a gravy), or sola (coloured cork) in nearby rivers, ponds riding the merry-go-rounds and hand-drawn or water bodies. They fill the boitas with a little wheels, and finally, ending the evening with grain, betel leaves, and nuts, which are symbolic cotton candy as we wait for hours to find a cycle- of merchandise, and a tiny oil/ghee lamp as a rickshaw to bring us home. nostalgic reminder of ancient tradition, uttering the Today, the Jatra has physically expanded limerick “Aa, Ka, Ma, Bai. Pana gua thoi, Pana from the upper ground of Barabati Fort to the gua tora, Masaka dharama mora,” which sandy banks of Mahanadi, stretching over about literally means: dear mother river, come and accept ten kilometers of the coast of Mahanadi. The Jatra my betel and betel nut and bestow me with the ground is marked by a massive gate crowning a good deeds of the auspicious month. Then, boita, (the replica of a that the traders used they are joined by the womenfolk, who break to sail to trade in far-away places like Java, their Karttika brata, or fasting ritual. I had the Sumatra, and surrounding islands. pleasure of participating in this festival in 2017 continues to be a symbolic worship of the and 2018 and revelled in the spectacular site when , reminiscent of maritime trade, that once the pond in front of my house was illuminated with flourished in the state of Odisha. The traditional the lights from the tiny lamps in these miniature three-day-long Jatra has been extended to ten boats. As I watched the glow from the lamps in days of celebration, because it is virtually the recede into the horizon, I could only impossible to cover the entire Jatra in one day. imagine what it must have been like when the The festival stretches from the upper to lower massive fleet of exquisitely decorated laden grounds with thousands of stalls. The number of with grains, artifacts, and textiles were bid a proud stalls has also increased, with a wider range of bon voyage to trade products of Utkala for the traditional household goods being sold, such as exotic goods from far-away lands. spices, dry fish, brooms, cups, garments, and textiles. These goods are not just produced in While growing up in Cuttack, my Odisha, but now are produced all over India. experience of the boita bandana ritual entailed One can buy various types of modern gadgets, waking up at the crack of dawn, walking to the small or large, such as telephones, a wide variety river Mahanadi, to take a dip before dawn, offer of toys, bikes, motorbikes, and cars. Even betel nut on a betel leaf in a boat made up of innovative and cutting-edge gadgets are launched, plantain bark, and set sail on the water making a while Ollywood films and television programmes wish to the river divine for a prosperous year. are also inaugurated on the Jatra ground. We then make a beeline to have a darsan of Lord Siva at Gadagadia Ghat. By evening, we were The Bali Jatra festival has become a grand ready to go to the Bali Jatra, maneuvering celebration which attracts people from all over

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Odisha. The major attraction is the panoramic, preferences for earthen pots and pans, which open ground where the night never stops, and promote better health. The earthenware dolls nobody sleeps under the star-studded sky. With from my time are no longer a major attraction, better transportation facilities people from all over and are now have been replaced with more Odisha come together to celebrate the Jatra and modern toys which no more promote participate in the festival. Now travel between environmental awareness. Many women’s self- states has become much easier, so, it is common help groups (SHGs) have produced beautiful toys, to see vendors from nearby states, such as West such as dolls, kites, pen-stands, photo-frames, , and from farther states, like Uttar and flower-pots, among other household Pradesh, Rajasthan, and . necessities manufactured from used paper. Products like toys, brooms, mats, etc. are made Food is a major draw at the festival, and of Sabai grass, which grow in the hill tracts of represents different parts of Odisha as well as of Kandhamal, has become another major attraction. India. Innovative dishes are a big hit among the Women from this region come to display their Bali Jatra visitors. Thunka puri, which was a creations and are seen working on site to popular food item when I was growing up, is still transform the Sabai grass to beautiful artifacts, apart of the Jatra menu, but many novel dishes turning unwanted waste to useful products. have been added as well. Traditional dishes, like thunka puri, dahi bara-aloo dum (fried lentil Many artisans, specializing in household balls dipped in yogurt with mouth-watering potato products, come from far and wide and join the curry) and mudhi mutton puffed rice with mutton festival to showcase their handicrafts and curry, a cuisine from the city of , handlooms. The artisans get the rare opportunity Mayurbhanj are still popular, but people are also to display their beautiful creations in different stalls. keen on paying top prices to try new dishes. Last year, Tirumalla Saha, from , has Pineapple chicken, mushroom chili roti, showcased vanity bags made with bamboo, a bamboo chicken (chicken roasted in a piece of popular item at the fair. Odias find it very bamboo stem on the stove) and fried ice cream surprising that bamboo can produce beautiful (cashew paste and cornflakes cooked with the creations, other than floor mats. As I surveyed ice-cream), are very popular. Families, and the multitude of merchants from the different parts especially young people, come to the Jatra to try of India hustling to sell their wares and the trendy snack-food like kababs, pastries, noodles enthusiasm of the crowd during my last visit to and fried ice-creams, which satisfy both vegetarian the Bali Jatra, I couldn’t help thinking how the and non-vegetarian palettes. state is promoting Balijatra - to help thrive centuries old tradition - the grand exchange of goods from Along with textile and all kinds of state- distant destinations, the thriving excitement of specialized garments, the Jatra is also famous for throngs of crowds jostling to try new things, only its exhibition of handicrafts from all over India. different destinations and a different time. Dishes and cooking utensils, including pots and pans, are very popular to showcase and sell. Cultural programmes are also crowd Today, people are reverting to historical pullers at the Jatra. The state sponsors ,

56 NOVEMBER - 2019 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 and several folk dances and types of music from administrative offices have moved there. Now, every corner of Odisha. Every evening, cultural all the state’s developments are taking place in activities are packed with performances by well- , leaving Cuttack deserted and known artists from the state, as well as across forlorn. Eventhough it is known for having the India. Even Indonesian dancers came to perform oldest medical university in the state, major private at the festival last year, as part of a state cultural hospitals have opened up in the capital city. There exchange programme. has been a paradigm shift between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. In the Middle Ages, trade was I learned that the Jatra not only reflects quite common, and all the maritime trade started but also refracts our culture. For example, from the banks of Mahanadi river. Cuttack still transgenders are given a special spot to showcase has the Barabati Fort symbolizing the power and their talent as well as their leadership. A stall, glory it once had. Since India’s independence, completely manned by the twelve TGs, also the state’s identity, prosperity and progress is tied known as Kinnars, has been introduced since to Bhubaneswar. It is not a surprise that since last last year. They produce many beautiful materials year, Bhubaneswar also has started Bali Jatra, like incense sticks, scented soaps, and herbal on the banks of the Kuakhai river, a branch of products, among other things that have been Mahanadi. Still, the extraordinary extravaganza attracting huge numbers of customers to their stall. of art, culture, and heritage demonstrated at the Their goods range from twenty to two hundred Bali Jatra defines the uniqueness of Cuttack and rupees, and their beautiful attire and positive spirit the state of Odisha. Bali Jatra has only become have made them showstoppers. Different nonprofit more dramatic and colorful with today’s use of organizations (NGOs), socially responsive technology and social media. Participating in this corporations, and Self Help Groups (SHGs) are Jatra reminded me of writer, artist and also spreading their message. Last year, an philosopher Makoto Fujiyama’s work Culture awareness camp for Women’s empowerment had Care, in which he says that there has been a great been installed, educating people about gender effort in many societies that have endured many sensitization, women’s education, and economic ruptures to restore and heal their culture to ‘come empowerment. They are offering information on back beautiful, vulnerable and whole in their how to report violence, sexual abuse, dowry and broken places’. Bali Jatra celebrations connect any sort of injustice against women, and this is different pieces of Odia past and showcases very popular among the visitors. Odisha’s achievement in the present. Cuttack, the ancient capital of Odisha, is known for its historical glory, fame, and rich cultural heritage. Since 1949, Bhubaneswar has Annapurna Devi Pandey, 101 Lisa Court, Santa Cruz, become the new capital of the state and most California-95060, E-mail : [email protected].

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