Other States - Orissa   

Lakhs turn up for Bali Yatra on opening day

CUTTACK: More than one lakh revelers thronged the three mega fair grounds of the city here on Sunday as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the historic Bali Yatra festival here in the evening in front of the majestic Barabati fort on the banks of river Mahanadi. The festival will continue till November 28.

Thousands of people began merrymaking and relishing the famous foodstuff of the city—Dahi vada, Alu dum and Thunka puri since morning at the fair grounds after visiting temples and sailing miniature paper boats to mark the celebrations of ‘Boita Bandana'.

Patnaik along with his cabinet colleagues S N Patro, Devi Prasad Mishra, Pratap Jena, members of Lok Sabha Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Bhartruhari Mahatab, legislators Pravat Biswal, Debashis Samantray, Chandrasarathi Behera and Ramesh Rout, city mayor S K Ghosh and Zilla Parishad chairperson Laxmi Bilasini Biswal were present at the inauguration ceremony that was presided over by district collector Kishore Kumar Mohanty. Seeing the enthusiasm among the people, the Chief Minister in his address announced extension of the festival for another day. Earlier, the festival was scheduled to end on November 27.    

Traders from both state and outside have set up around 1,300 stalls with ethnic stone and bamboo household items like Sila, Chaki, Kula, and Tokei to latest electronic gadgets at the Bali Yatra grounds and the paths leading to the festival grounds. With good weather and elaborate administrative and police arrangements made for the festival, Bali Yatra is likely to witness heavy footfalls on all days.

The district administration this year has focused mainly on organising grand cultural programmes to highlight the rich culture of the state.

The administration too has laid emphasis on the Filigree pavilion that has come here for the first time this year.

Besides, the local civic body has emphasised on observing a polythene-free festival and accordingly the traders have been strictly asked to avoid the use of polythene bags, plastic cups, glasses and plates. “Instead, we have made arrangements to make available sufficient alternatives l”, said the city mayor S K Ghosh.

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Lakhs turn up for Bali Yatra on opening day

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