Bali Jatra

Eighty-two years old now and his memory of the first visit to Bali Jatra is a bit hazy. "It was around 1957," says Ramaballav Mishra, now a resident of Bhubaneswar. "Yes, it was a big fair even then. The crowd was mostly rural and it was…

What makes a fair special? It has to be the fascinating mix of smells, sounds and sights. It was true half a century ago; it holds true now  "The first thing that hit you when you approached Killa Padia from Chandi Madira during Bali Jatra…

Food is what attracted many to Bali Jatra. The range of eatables was wide. "Dahibara and aloo dum sold the most. Thunkapuri was in great demand too. No trip was complete without a taste of both. Regional delicacies from across the state…

"Nothing would stop our trips to the Jatra. A bunch of youngsters would set off on cycles from our hostel in Ravenshaw college in the evening and move inside the Jatra venue doing nothing in particular. The buzz of the place was addictive.…

The mention of Bali Jatra stirs fond memories in Geeta Satpathy, 59. She was around seven when she first visited the jatra and she still remembers the excitement at the sight and sounds of the venue as a little girl. "We hopped from shop to…

Egyptian mythology offers strong hints of maritime links with ancient Odisha. The land it mentions as Put or Punt was most probably Puri, according to a research work. The holy triad of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra had…

In Sonepur, the land of Shakti worship, Bali Jatra assumes a different meaning altogether. According to tradition, the festival began during Raja Madan Gopal Singhdeo, the first Chauhan king of Sonepur, who ruled the mid 17th century. Bali …

Cuttack: The world is changing and the new India is you, said Bollywood singer of Odisha orgin, Sona Mohapatra while exhorting youths at Bali Jatra here to take up the cudgels against Anu Malik, whom she along with singers Shweta Pandit,…

Wayang kulit, the shadow-puppetry show, popular in South-East nations has similarities to the nearly extinct puppetry in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Kaundinya’s marriage is the major theme in the plays in those countries as are episodes from…