Odisha CM Majhi inaugurates week-long Bali Jatra in Cuttack

This week-long celebration will continue until November 22, in Cuttack.

The opening ceremony was attended by a distinguished group of foreign delegates, including ambassadors, high commissioners, heads of missions, and diplomats from 14 countries, along with their spouses. These dignitaries participated in a boat sailing on the Mahanadi River and explored the various stalls set up at the mega-fair.

The Jatra witnessed participation from cultural troupes from ASEAN, BIMSTEC, and Pacific Island countries.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of Mission of 14 countries and their spouses as well as several other diplomats attended the Bali Jatra Cuttack Utsav 2024.

As India marks a decade of Act East Policy this year, the festival also attained an international profile by participation from ASEAN, BIMSTEC and Pacific Island countries including the performances of their visiting cultural troupes during the entire week.

MEA (East) Secretary Jaideep Mazumdaar, said that cultural troops from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Slovakia and Bali will perform over eight days of this festival.

"Today we are honoured by the presence of ambasadors high commisioners heads of missions and diplomats from 14 friendly countries in addition we also have cultural troops from Bangladesh Bhutan Indonesia Nepal Sri Lanka Thailand Vietnam and even Slovakia and we have a troop coming all the way from Bali. The troops will be performing over eight days of this festival," Mazumdaar said.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha Pravati Parida, Member of Parliament Cuttack Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member of Parliament Jagatsinghpur Bibhu Prasad Tarai and senior officials of the State Government. Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), represented the Ministry of External Affairs at the event.

Bali Jatra (Voyage to Bali) celebrates Odisha's rich maritime history and commemorates India's historical and civilisational links with Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific, which have evolved through the maritime journeys undertaken by Indian seafarers over thousands of years, as per the Ministry of External Affairs release. (ANI)