What is ‘Bali’ in ‘Bali-Yatra’

Cuttack: Historic ‘Bali Yatra’ festival in Cuttack commences today with thousands of miniature boats floating in Mahanadi.

After a Covid hiatus of two years, water bodies across the State witnessed heavy crowds as people of all age groups gathered late Monday night to observe the ritual of ‘Boita Bandana’.

But actually what is Bali Yatra? Is it a festival related to sand (Bali in Odia means sand) or something else? Let us ponder over the use of this word in the context of Bali Yatra. 

The literal meaning of Bali Yatra is “Voyage to Bali.” Bali is an island in Indonesia. The Bali Yatra festival is generally celebrated in coastal Odisha on the day of “Kartika Purnima” which falls in the month of November every year.

It is a unique socio-cultural event. It makes us remember our glorious maritime history. It commemorates our ancient transoceanic trading links with far-off South East Asian islands like Java, Sumatra and Bali.

A Sneak-Peek Into History

By the end of the second century BC, the Indian mariners appear to have learned enough about the monsoon winds and ocean currents to attempt a more southern route across the Indian Ocean to the islands of Indonesia.

Note that the ships did not sail out directly to Indonesia. Instead, they used the north-eastern monsoon winds that blow from mid-November to sail down the coast to Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, the ships would have taken in fresh water and supplies before using ocean currents to cross the Indian Ocean to the northern tip of Sumatra (called Swarnadwipa, or Island of Gold in Sanskrit texts).

From here, the ships could choose to sail down the Straits of Malacca towards Palembang and take the sea route to Borneo and Vietnam. Alternatively, they could head south hugging the western coast of Sumatra to Bali and Java (called Yavadwipa, or Island of Barley/Grain).

After finishing their purchases and sales, most ships would have used the counter-current back to Sri Lanka and then return to Odisha.

Odisha’s Lake Chilika was an important starting point for this voyage. It is a large brackish water lake with a small opening to the sea. The mariners of Kalinga, therefore, used the lake as a safe harbour.

If the sailors started from Odisha in mid-November, it is estimated that they would reach the islands of Java/Bali by mid-January.

The merchants of Kalinga were not the only ones making the journey to Indonesia. There were merchants from the Tamil, Andhra and Bengal coasts too.

However, in the initial phase, it is the Sadhaba merchants of Kalinga who seem to have had a dominant influence.

Indian imports included Chinese silks, via ports in Vietnam, and camphor from Sumatra.

The islands of Indonesia would have been a source of cloves, nutmeg, and other spices. Many of the spices thought to be ‘Indian’ by medieval Europeans were actually from Indonesia except black pepper which grows along the southwestern coast of India.

Some Similarities With Odia Culture

Baliyatra festival of Odisha has some parallel with ‘Masakapan Ke Tukad’ festival of Bali where similar floating of toy boats in memory of maritime ancestors is made.

Likewise ‘Loikrathong or LOY Brah Prahdip’ festival of Thailand consists of the ritualistic floating of boats in the month of December has a similarity with Odishan custom.

And Now…

The celebration of Bali Yatra on the Bank of river Mahanadi takes us back to remember our ancestral cultural heritage and maritime legacy.

To remember the journey of Odia merchants a fair is organized every year in Cuttack, Paradeep, and many other places. Nowadays it is also organized in Bhubaneswar and other places as well.

The location for ‘Bali Yatra’ is on sandy places like on the bank of rivers or sea. People come and enjoy the ‘Bali Yatra’ and buy things for their homes and daily uses. Lights, decorations, dances, and other events are also organized to attract people.