Odia Asmita to be theme of Bali Yatra this year

Cuttack: Odia Asmita will be the theme of this year’s Bali Yatra, said Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde after a preparatory meeting on Wednesday. “We are working on promoting Odia language and culture,” he said. The famed fair will start from Nov 15 and end on Nov 22.
Official sources said the fair will be more organised with better management as a committee will execute all works. The collector of Cuttack is its chairman and CMC commissioner is convenor. “A single agency has been roped in to manage all aspects of Bali Yatra,” he said. This agency will allot land, take care of sanitation, illumination, landscaping, cultural programmes, among other aspects of the fair.
Bali Yatra is one of the major fairs of the state showcasing Odisha’s maritime trade traditions. Every year on Kartik Purnima to celebrate the maritime voyage of merchants to Bali, the fair gets underway on the banks of the Mahanadi.
Lakhs of people from different parts of the state take part in the fair in which over 5,000 traders from across the country participate. According to sources, business of Rs 100 crores is transacted in the fair every year.
“This year, 1,200 plots will be auctioned for Bali Yatra. Registration of plots started on Oct 15 and will continue till Oct 25,” said district culture officer Nalini Kanta Sahoo.