| Bali Jatra | |
|---|---|
 Cuttack Bali Jatra | |
| Official name | Bali Jatra |
| Also called | Voyage to Bali |
| Observed by | Odias |
| Type | Cultural |
| Begins | On Boita Bandana in the month of Kartika in Odia calendar |
| Ends | Various (usually in a week, or 9–10 days[1]) |
| Date | Kartik Purnima |
| 2023 date | 27 November |
| 2024 date | 15 to 23 November |
| Frequency | Annual |
Bāli Jātrā, (Odia: ବାଲିଯାତ୍ରା, lit. 'Voyage to Bali') pronounced [bali dʒat̪ɾa], is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more, i.e. usually until Prathamastami. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair.[2][3] The festival is held in Odisha (a state in eastern India), in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas (Odia mariners) would set sail to distant lands of Bali, as well as Java (at the time of the voyage known as "Yawadvipa"), Sumatra, Borneo (all in Indonesia), and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) for trade and cultural expansion. To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima (full moon day of the month of Kartika) to Prathamastami (eighth day of Margasira Krushna) according to the Odia calendar.[4][5][6]
- ^ Sharma, Vikash (15 November 2022). "Cuttack Bali Yatra date extended, check latest order". Odisha TV.
- ^ Vanjani, Drishti (11 October 2019). "The Great Indian festive culinary trail for November". The Asian Age.
- ^ Mohanty, Subhashish (1 November 2020). "Pandemic axe on Odisha's Bali Yatra". The Telegraph.
- ^ Patnaik, N.R. (1997). Economic History of Orissa. Indus Publishing Company. p. 117. ISBN 978-81-7387-075-0. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^ Orissa Review - Volume 45. Home Dept, Gov of Orissa. 1988.
- ^ Annapurna Pandey (2019), "Cuttack Bali Jatra: The Grand Festival Becomes Grander", Odisha Society of the Americas Souvenir, OSAS, retrieved 13 February 2021