The celebration is driven by the glorious maritime history of India and the south-east Asian islands
BHUBANESWAR: The maritime history of the state of Odisha and Indonesia is nothing short of glorious. The ancient silk route connected both these trading destinations of the past. To celebrate this deep affinity, Indonesia Tourism organised a festival The Pride and Glory of Bali Yatra in collaboration with the embassy of Indonesia, at a city hotel here Monday. The festival will continue till November 3 2018.
The festival included a pictorial exhibition, release of a coffee-table book, screening of a documentary film – all of which were put together by writer, photographer and film maker Sudip Sen, Director, Resource Indica: Roots & Revelations after much research on the subject. He had also visited Indonesia to gain a firsthand experience of the culture of that country. A similar event was organised in New Delhi in March and in Kolkata in June this year.
On the occasion, a Pride and Glory of Bali Yatra heritage tour to Indonesia was launched. This apart, live performance of traditional Balinese dancers was presented and a Balinese food festival was also lunched. Expert chefs from Bali were flown in from Indonesia for this occasion.
Sudip Sen said, “Bali-yatra, as we all know, is a popular celebration of the glorious maritime history of Odisha and Indonesia. The ancient trading links between Bali and our state is well documented. The Pride and Glory of Bali Yatra is the first in a series of presentations. This celebration is driven by the glorious maritime history of India and the south-east Asian islands and fuelled by the cultural influence of India in these islands. It is titled ‘Rediscovering India International of Yore’. The objective of this fest is to highlight the significance of Bali-yatra and make Indians look at Indonesia with a new perception.”
Boita Bandana, an annual riverside ritual that is performed by women all over Odisha on the eve of ‘Bali-yatra’, is a symbolic commemoration of a traditional farewell that used to be accorded to the brave sea-farers of yore. This fest would surely throw new light on the impact of Odia tradition and culture that is clearly manifested on a vast majority of Indonesian population.
The project was flagged-off during Bali Yatra at Cuttack, Odisha, in November 2013. This curtain raiser was presented in association with Odisha State Maritime Museum, Indian National Trust For Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Indonesia Tourism.
“I am an Indonesian by birth and nationality and feel privileged to represent my country here in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. We firmly believe that we derive a lot of our heritage from this place,” said Komang Mahavira, Deputy Director, Ministry Of Tourism, Indonesia.