Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of Kartik Purnima today, people observed the ‘Boita Bandana’ also known as ‘Danga Bhasa’—a traditional Odia maritime and naval festival celebrated annually throughout Odisha.
With chants of the ancient verse “Aa ka ma bhayi, pana gua khai,” people flocked to riversides and water bodies to float miniature boats, honouring Odisha’s maritime heritage.
The boat sailing festival commemorates the ancient maritime activities and trade relations of Odisha with Southeast Asian countries and it is observed every year on the full moon day in the holy month of Kartik.
At Bindusagar in Bhubaneswar’s Old Town, devotees floated tiny boats made from banana leaf sheaths, paper, leaves, and thermocol, adorned with lamps, flowers, and incense sticks as symbols of good fortune. The ritual, deeply rooted in Odisha’s cultural memory, recalls the journeys of Kalinga’s ancient traders, or Sadhabas, who sailed to distant lands like Bali and Java.
Cuttack’s Gadagadia Ghat on the Mahanadi and Debi Ghat on the Kathjodi were bustling with activity, as locals celebrated Boita Bandana and ushered in the annual Baliyatra, a seven-day festival dedicated to the state’s rich commercial history.