Baliyatra : a Festival of Odisha's Ancient Maritime Trade
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Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 he literal meaning of Baliyatra is “Voyage and economic glory. Bali Jatra festival is also Tto Bali.” Bali is an island of Indonesia and associated with legend ‘Taapoi’ and rituals like the Baliyatra festival is generally celebrated in the ‘Bhalukuni Osha’ or ‘Khudurukuni Osha’ and coastal Odisha on the day of “Kartika Purnima” which falls in the month of November every year. It is a unique socio- cultural event with glorious history which commemorates the past association of the people of Odisha with Bali and the glorious maritime tradition of trans- oceanic voyages they undertook to South East Asian Countries. Baliyatra : A Festival of Odisha's Ancient Maritime Trade Dr. Rabindra Nath Dash The celebration of Baliyatra on the Bank of river ‘Bada Osha’. ‘Taapoi’ is deeply associated with Mahanadi takes us back to remember our Bali Jatra festival, which reminds the traditional ancestral cultural heritage and maritime legacy. memories of a young maiden waiting for the return During this period the traders of Odisha (Sadhaba of her sailor brothers. To commemorate this Puas) were undertaking voyages, along the sea glorious past of commercial Journey, this festival trade route, on huge boats called “Boita” from is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika this place on full moon day in the month of Purnima according to Odia Calendar. November. So Kartika Purnima is an auspicious day for the people of Odisha as the Sailors used Baliyatra festival of Odisha has some to start their voyage to the places like Bali, Java parallel with ‘Masakapan Ke Tukad’ festival of Borneo, Sumatra in Indonesia and Srilanka for a Bali where similar floating of toy boats in memory successful trade. Baliyatra is not only a ritual of of maritime ancestors is made. Likewise sailing of boats on Kartika Purnima day but it also ‘Loikrathong or LOY Brah Prahdip’ festival of represents the ancient maritime tradition of Odisha Thaliand consisting of ritualistic floating of boats NOVEMBER - 2017 13 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review in the month of December has similarity with glorious maritime past has been proved from the Odishan custom. On Baliyatra festival of Kartika excavated materials like Roman coins, Kushan Purnima an Odia lyric is usually recited i.e. ‘Aa- coins, Chinese ceramic sherds found from Ka-Ma-Bai, Pana-Gua- Thoi’. Aa-Ka-Ma-Bai different parts of Odisha in the recent past. Great connotes the month of Asadha, Kartika, Margasira was the fame of Kalinga as a maritime power in and Baisakha of Odia calendar. While the period ancient times that “Kalidas” in his Raghuvamsa from Asadha to Kartika (July- September) was referred to king of Kalinga as the “Lord of Sea”. the season of outgoing voyage and Magha to th Baisakha was considered to be the season of Kartika Purnima which falls on the 15 return voyage. Apart from other places of Odisha, day of the Sukla Paksha (Waxing moon) of the Baliyatra is celebrated with much pomp and Karttika month (November), is a day of grandeur in the historic city of Cuttack for seven reminiscence of Odisha’s ancient overseas trade days from Kartika Purnima. Some opine, Odia with far off South- eastern parts. The people of Sadhabas (sea traders) were sailing off to Bali on Odisha float small boats made of banana peels this monsoon season for which it is named as such. and Sola in nearby ponds and rivers to recall the glories of daring Sea Voyages of ancient Kalinga. Others say, Sri Chaitanya, the great Vaishnavite Bengali Saint, first landed on the soil of Cuttack Sarala Das in the Mahabharata, after crossing the sand-bed (Bali) of Mahanadi Narasimha Sena in his Parimala Kavya, Yasowant River on his way to Puri on this auspicious day. Das in Tika Govinda Chandra mentioned maritime Lakhs of people congregate on the famous terms like Botia, Naha, Sadhava, Sadhavani, Baliyatra festival of Cuttack city where Manga, Nabika etc. and islands like Srilanka, innumerable varieties of goods are bought and Java, Bali, Suvarna Dvipa, Bramhadesh etc. sold. People also enjoy boating on the river Mahanadi with friends and relatives in the moonlit The ancient texts mention “Kalingah night during this festival. Sahasikah” while referring to the brave sons of Kalinga. The geographical position of Kalinga, Odisha province, known as Kalinga in with several rivers, sheltered ports and the ocean ancient times, was commanding a very high by its sides, provided an ideal environment for position in the maritime activities of India in the sea voyages (Samudra Yatra). The famous ports past. Brave and adventurous Kalinga sailors were of Kalinga were Tamralipti, Palur, Pithunda, making daring voyages to different far- off lands Chelitalo, Manikpatna etc. which were famous of the world and had maritime contacts with for sea voyage from India to South – East Asian Roman Empire, Africa, Persian coast, Arabian countries. Among the ports of Odisha, Tamralipti countries in the west and China, Japan, Siam, (Modern Tamluk in the Midnapore district of Champa, Burma, Ceylon, etc in the East. Besides, West Bengal) served as the main gateway for the countries with which the people of Kalinga ancient Kalingan innumerable sea-going maintained enduring commercial and cultural traders,travellers and missionaries where the relationship were the islands of Java, Sumatra, Royal household was of Kaibarta caste. Ptolemy Bali and Borneo collectively known as in the second century A.D. called it as Tamailitis. Suvarnadvipa or modern Indonesia. Odisha’s King Tissa of Ceylon had sent for envoys to the 14 NOVEMBER - 2017 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 court of emperor Ashoka who came and went metropolis of Kalinga. Sylvain Levi located through this port. Ashoka arrived at the island of Pithunda to south of Pallur near Chicacola and Ceylon and converted Tissa into Buddhism. Kalingapatanam. Che-li-ta-lo (Chhatra) as Sanghamitra, the daughter of Ashoka sailed from described by famous Chinese Piligrim Hiuen - this port to Ceylon with the sacred ‘Bodhitree’. Tsang was another port town situated on the sea- coast of Odradesha (North Odisha). Fa - Hien in the fifth century A.D. saw it Manikapatna, located close to the present mouth a strong maritime settlement of the Buddhists and of Chilika is regarded as a sheltered port of left for Ceylon from this port. He saw their 24 ancient Odisha. The discovery of celadonware monasteries with rich libraries that he stayed there and a coin of Sahasamalla, king of Srilanka shows for two years copying out sastras. In the 7th trade relation with China and Srilanka in the early century A.D. Hiuen –Tsang visited the place and medieval period. Undoubtedly Manikapatna had saw about 50 Hindu temples and a few Buddhist an important role in the east-west maritime trade. monasteries. Though on the declining stage Abul Fazl, the court historian of Akbar, mentions Tamralipti counted to be Buddhist centre till I- Manikapatnam as a large port where salt dues Tsing reached the port in 671 A.D. Thus were collected during his time. Tamralipti was an important sea port on the east coast of ancient India from which people travelled From the ancient times the people of to China, Ceylon and South East Asia. Another Kalinga had commercial, colonial and cultural important port was Palur which is identified with relations with islands like Bali, Java, Sumatra, modern village of Palur on the coast of Bay of Borneo and Malaya. During the period from 2nd Bengal in Ganjam district. The Greek author century A.D. both Brahmanic Hinduism and nd Ptolemy in the middle of the 2 century A.D. refers Buddhism were two flourishing religions of to Palur as a flourishing port of Kalinga. Suvarnadvipa. The Kalinga influence in th Dantrapura, mentioned in the Buddhist Suvarnadvipa reached its zenith in 8 century A.D. and Jaina text, is perhaps same as Palur The Sailendra empire sprang up during this period since’Palla’ and ‘Ur’ the two terms in Tamil which included Java, Sumatra, Malayan indicate the meaning tooth (Danta) and city (Pura). Peninsula, Borneo and Bali. Gerini, the researcher on Ptolemy’s geography The contact between Kalinga and further refers to a port, from where ships sailed Simhala dates back to the 5th century B.C. to ‘Suvarnabhumi’ (Burma) and ‘Suvarnadipa’. Kalinga seems to have maintained contacts with This port has been identified by scholars with Burma through sea routes. The ancient name of Gopalpur, a sea resort in Ganjam District. Pegu was Ussa. Most probably this name was Pithunda was the next important port of derived from the word Odisha. The Chinese Kalinga. The Jaina text Uttaradhyana Sutra sources reveal that there existed close commercial mentions that being a famous centre during the and cultural relations between Kalinga and China. day of Mahavir, merchants from Champa used The sea-route from Kalinga to China passed to come to this place for trade. Kharavela’s through Simhala and Java. According to the Hatigumpha inscription mentions Pithunda as Chinese sources a famous Kalingan scholar NOVEMBER - 2017 15 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review named Subhakara visited the Court of the Chinese 6. B.K. Sinha, “Excavations at Golbai Sasana, Dist. Emperor Husan-Tsung and translated the Puri, Orissa, Puratattva, Vol.23, 1992-93, p.48. Buddhist text Mahavirochana Sutra into Chinese 7. B.B. Lal, ‘Sisupalagarh – An Early Historical Fort language. The discovery of Roman coins at in Eastern India”, Ancient India, Vol.5, (1949),pp.62- Bamanghati in Mayurbhanj district and 105. Vizagapatnam district which were within the 8. P. Acharya, Studies on Orissan History, boundaries of ancient Odisha, prove that Kalinga Archaeology and Archives, Cuttack, 1969,p.533. exported her goods to Rome and brought the Roman coins in return.