Cuttack: The much anticipated event of BaliYatra kicked off ceremoniously at Cuttack Friday. Finance minister Sashi Bhushan Behera officially ingaurated the 11-day fair, which houses over 1300 stalls. It is organised on 44 acres of land. Orissa Post interacted with a few of the visitors to delve deeper into the largest open air fair of the world.
This year, eateries at the fair are attracting a lot of the visitors. Alisha Abhimanyu, a resident of Tulasipur in Cuttack, said, “The most amazing part of Bali Yatra is its unique combination of modernity and tradition. Products depicting our culture are up for sale here. Bali Yatra caters to the needs of people from all walks of life. The products that are unavailable in any of the regular shops are in abundance at BaliYatra.”
Akash Pati and his brother Murali Pati thanked the local administration for the arrangement of free bus rides for visitors from Trisulia square. Both of them applauded the arrangements for clean water, no dust policy and spacious paths that have been carved in between stalls for visitors.
What has really set this year’s festival apart is its amazing collection of children’s play equipments. These toys had passed into oblivion with the advent of modern technology. Items like Kathi Gadi, moving snake, battery operated yama horns and flying kites among others were up for sale at the festival. Six-year-old Parthab Prusty, a resident of Bhubaneswar, stated that these old toys are the best way to play with friends indoors.
Many puja items were also available at the fair. Utensils and products for the upcoming Laxmi puja, Kula and paddy were abundantly available at the fair.
Apart from that, the place is turning out to be a paradise for foodies of the twin city of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. They had a field day at the fair. One can choose from a wide array of food items like chinese, mughlai, thunka puri, south Indian dosa, dahi vada, pani puri, pav bhaji, pizza, tandoori items, cold beverages, ice-creams, kulfis, Rajasthani sweets and not to forget the special Odia Paan.
However, this doesn’t provide a complete picture of the festival. Unfair distribution of areas for small kiosks has been the bone of contention this year. Bidhan Chandra Ray, owner of Sukarya fast food, said, “I have been harassed due to the irresponsible distribution of areas for small centres like us. I sincerely hope that other small kiosk owners are adjusting to these teething issues. Many shops were not installed properly as the number of people engaged in it was very less. Nevertheless, the very first day of BaliYatra saw a huge footfall of around 1 lakh people.
