With the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, the Odisha Government has imposed restrictions on the celebration of ‘Boita Bandana’ or the ‘Boat Festival.’
Every year, thousands of devotees visit the water bodies to take a holy dip and float miniature boats to mark the festival. This year, however, restrictions were imposed on the congregation of the public.
For years, Odisha has been known for its rich maritime history. Known as ‘Kalinga’ in the ancient times, the state has glorious tales of its sailors travelling to far-off lands for trade.
The sailors from the state have been known to have established contacts with the Roman Empire, Africa, Arabian countries besides the South-East Asian sub-continent.
Commemorating its history, Odisha celebrates the occasion called the ‘Boita Bandana’ or the boat festival.
The iconic Bindu Sagar lake in Bhubaneswar, which usually sees a beeline of devotees during the festival, bore a deserted look.
Restrictions were also imposed in Puri, where every year hundreds of devotees take a holy dip in ‘Pancha Tirtha’ – Indradyumna, Markanda, Narendra, Swetha Ganga and Mahodadhi ponds. As per the tradition, the trinity – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will adorn the ‘Rajarajeswar Besha’ inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple.
The famous Cuttack fair ‘Bali Jatra’ literally translating to ‘Voyage to Bali’ also stands cancelled. Earlier, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner had stated that the congregations shall remain prohibited as it could be a potential threat to the spread of the COVID19 infection.